The Veteran's eye disability claim is denied as there is no diagnosed condition related to service.,The Veteran's back, feet, and face skin conditions are remanded for further examination and opinion regarding their etiology.,The Veteran's sleep apnea claim is remanded for a medical opinion on its etiology.,The Veteran's cellulitis of the left thigh claim is remanded for clarification of whether it constitutes a current disability or if it is only pain.,The Veteran's thyroid disorder claim is remanded to determine when the condition manifested and whether service aggravated it.,The Veteran's PTSD claim is remanded for further medical opinion on its etiology.
The deciding factor: There is no diagnosed eye disability related to service. The Veteran’s complaints of watery eyes were due to a drainage issue, and his blurred vision was corrected with eyeglasses.,The Veteran has diagnoses of degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, tinea pedis (athlete's foot), and seborrheic dermatitis. A VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.,There is no diagnosed sleep apnea in the record. The Veteran was exposed to contaminated air from burn pits and oil fires while deployed to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, which may have contributed to his condition.,The Veteran has a previously diagnosed cellulitis of the left thigh that has healed. A VA examination is needed to determine if there is a current disability or only pain related to service.,There are diagnoses of euthyroid multinodular goiter and marked thyromegaly (enlarged thyroid). The condition may have pre-existed service, but further medical opinion is needed to determine when it manifested and whether service aggravated it.,The Veteran has been diagnosed with PTSD and depression. A VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Eye Disability, Back Disability, Skin Conditions of Feet and Face, Sleep Apnea, Cellulitis of Left Thigh, Thyroid Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2018
- Citation
- 18110703
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 18110703.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 27, 2019 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no earlier claim document in the claims file and the Veteran did not timely perfect an appeal.
- Denied
The claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted as a result of military sexual trauma (MST) that occurred during service. The Board found the Veteran's testimony and supporting evidence credible, including her VA and private treatment records.
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