The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for a spleen disability. Service connection was granted for sarcoidosis, hypertension, depressive disorder, pituitary gland tumor, diabetes insipidus, fatigue disability, and bilateral hearing loss due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's presence in Vietnam and exposure to herbicide agents during service were established through credible evidence, including his own testimony, pay records, military documents, and statements from family members. Hypertension was found to be related to sarcoidosis as a result of herbicide agent exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- spleen disability, sarcoidosis, hypertension, depressive disorder, pituitary gland tumor, diabetes insipidus, fatigue disability, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2021
- Citation
- 21000119
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 21000119.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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