The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for sterility due to epididymitis during his active duty is remanded. The VA examiner found that sterility was less likely related to service, but did not provide a rationale or consider lay evidence of sterility being diagnosed shortly after treatment for epididymitis in service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion did not address the medical principles and literature supporting the relationship between epididymitis and sterility, nor did it discuss the lay reports from the Veteran and his spouse regarding their inability to conceive since 1972.
- Claimed conditions
- Sterility, Epididymitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2019
- Citation
- A19001805
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 increased ratings and service connection, finding that his hip arthroplasties and scars did not meet the criteria for higher ratings, and remanded the claim for epididymitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's urge incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and epididymitis.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased compensation, service connection, and initial compensable disability ratings for various conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected epididymitis, including an assessment of loss of use of the creative organ.
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