The Veteran's hepatitis C and malignant skin neoplasms (skin cancer) are not service-connected as they did not manifest during or within one year of service, nor are they linked to his military service.,The Veteran's enlarged prostate gland is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year of service, nor is it linked to his military service.,The Veteran's histoplasmosis is remanded for further evaluation due to the lack of a current diagnosis and potential connection to contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of hepatitis C or malignant skin neoplasms (skin cancer) during service or within one year post-service. The Veteran's claims are denied as there is insufficient evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,The enlarged prostate gland was not diagnosed during service and the Board finds that it did not manifest within one year of discharge. There is no evidence linking this condition to service, including contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.,There is a need for further evaluation as there is insufficient current medical evidence to determine if histoplasmosis is related to the Veteran's military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatitis C, Enlarged prostate gland, Malignant skin neoplasms (skin cancer), Histoplasmosis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2018
- Citation
- 18149797
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 18149797.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cirrhosis, hepatitis C, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, Barrett's esophagus, and obstructive sleep apnea but dismissed the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new VA addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's liver cancer and hepatitis C are related to his active service, including exposure to agent orange.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and radiculopathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves, with effective dates from March 15, 2013. The Board also granted a TDIU and DEA based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and hepatitis C as there was no evidence of functional impairment sufficient to warrant a higher rating.
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