The Board denied service connection for cysts, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service or exposure to herbicide agents.,There is no credible evidence that the Veteran's current skin disorder involving cysts and comedones had its onset during service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran’s cysts are related to his military service, including exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- Cysts, Bilateral Upper Extremity Peripheral Neuropathy, Bilateral Lower Extremity Peripheral Neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20080072
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,726 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20080072.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the eligibility determination for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) due to inadequate medical opinion and a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection of Diabetes Mellitus type II, Bilateral Upper Extremity Peripheral Neuropathy, and Bilateral Lower Extremity Peripheral Neuropathy as the earliest date of claim is April 5, 2024.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetic nephropathy, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.