The Board has determined that the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange during service caused his myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which was a contributing cause of his death in February 2003. The claim is granted.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence supports the conclusion that the Veteran’s MDS was related to his in-service herbicide exposure, including Agent Orange and its contaminant TCDD.
- Claimed conditions
- Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18116640
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 18116640.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) due to the evidence being at least in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's MDS is etiologically related to his active service.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, which included MDS, is found to be related to his exposure to herbicide agents while serving in the Republic of Vietnam. Service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's hematologic disorder is caused or aggravated by his service-connected conditions, including coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus type II (DMII), and bladder cancer residuals.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information provided in the addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's hematologic disorder was aggravated by his service-connected conditions, including CAD, DMII, and bladder cancer residuals.
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