The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives. The case will be returned for further development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology and service connection of ADEM.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for additional evidence and clarification from a VA examiner regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's ADEM, particularly in relation to his service-connected conditions and potential herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute disseminating encephalomyelitis (ADEM), Service-connected malaria, Type II diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19190529
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 19190529.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected unspecified depressive disorder.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that Type II diabetes mellitus and hypertension, which are presumed to have resulted from herbicide exposure during service, contributed substantially to his demise.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an adequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's in-service toxic exposure risk activities, including jet fuel and other fuels, to determine if they contributed to his cause of death.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and unstable angina and/or coronary artery disease, finding that there was no credible evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.
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