The Board has denied service connection for cholesteatoma and remanded the issues of service connection for vertigo, an increased rating for lumbar spine disability prior to April 26, 2010, entitlement to SMC at the housebound rate, and earlier effective date for TDIU. The case is being returned to the AOJ for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board found no current diagnosis of cholesteatoma and denied service connection based on lack of evidence of a current disability. Service connection for vertigo was remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding its etiology, and an increased rating for lumbar spine disability prior to April 26, 2010 was remanded due to inadequate retrospective medical opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- cholesteatoma, vertigo
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18143337
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 18143337.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to insufficient evidence linking his current condition to active service or any incident of service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a restoration of the separate 10 percent rating for vertigo, an earlier effective date for service connection for vertigo and migraines, and a 30 percent rating for hypothyroidism with heart murmur. The decision also denied an earlier effective date for hypertension and remanded claims for obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and individual unemployability.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for vertigo, incontinence, and GERD due to the lack of evidence supporting current diagnoses. The claims for hematuria and hemorrhoids were remanded for further development.
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