The Veteran's hypertension is presumed to have been caused by exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, but a medical opinion is needed to determine if it was aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.,A VA medical opinion is needed to determine whether the Veteran's bladder tumors and urothelial carcinoma are related to his active duty service, including presumed exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. The examiner should also consider the Veteran’s 1960 and 1966 in-service treatment for urethritis and gonorrhea.,The Veteran's parotid tumor excision scar is not entitled to a compensable initial rating as it does not meet the criteria for disfigurement or instability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that a VA medical opinion was needed to address whether the Veteran’s hypertension and bladder tumors were related to his service in Vietnam, including exposure to herbicide agents.
- Claimed conditions
- Parotid tumor excision scar, Hypertension (high blood pressure), Bladder tumors
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19196947
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 19196947.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection and higher initial rating were dismissed due to concurrent election of review options.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and to provide the Veteran with notice concerning his right to a hearing on his supplemental claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tension headaches and hypertension due to incomplete records, need for a new examination, and further development of evidence from SSA.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's left eye condition is related to service, as it found that the condition did not preexist service.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.