The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding a link between herbicide exposure and the Veteran's spleen disorders, including immune thrombocarpentia (ITP).
The deciding factor: The VA contract examiner’s opinion was inadequate as it did not address the Veteran's contention that his spleen enlargement was related to service herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of spleen disorder, immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19177238
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) to perform appropriate toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) development and schedule a TERA examination in compliance with the PACT Act.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Vietnam.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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