The Board has granted service connection for bilateral meibomian gland dysfunction and bilateral pinguecula as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. However, the case is remanded due to a negative finding regarding the Veteran's diagnosed macular degeneration.
The deciding factor: The November 2020 VA examiner found no current diagnosis of bilateral macular degeneration but noted findings consistent with macular degeneration in previous examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral meibomian gland dysfunction, bilateral pinguecula, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic cataracts, macular degeneration
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 10, 2021
- Citation
- 21007624
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 21007624.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for asthma, hypertension with residuals including stroke, DM II, bilateral amputation of all toes, and diabetic neuropathy to obtain VA medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.,The Board also remanded the claim for ED as it is inextricably intertwined with the DM II claim.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial ratings for diabetes and diabetic retinopathy were denied. The Board found that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of his symptoms, including his need for eye injections to treat his diabetic retinopathy.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Denied
The Board has denied the claim for service connection for macular degeneration due to a finding of clear and unmistakable error in the AOJ's decision, as no new and relevant evidence was presented or secured with the supplemental claim.
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