The Board has ordered the VA to provide additional medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's liver, kidney, and pancreatic cysts are at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his service-connected COPD. The case will be returned for further development.
The deciding factor: The previous medical opinions were insufficient in explaining the potential connection between the Veteran's service-connected COPD and his diagnosed cysts.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Liver cyst","service_connection_theory":"secondary"}, {"condition_name":"Kidney cyst","service_connection_theory":"secondary"}, {"condition_name":"Pancreatic cyst","service_connection_theory":"secondary"}
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19186040
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.