The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia due to inadequate etiology opinions provided in October 2020. The RO is instructed to obtain updated VA treatment records, secure any relevant outstanding private treatment records, and undertake efforts to substantiate the Veteran's claim of being exposed to depleted uranium during active service. Addendum opinions are needed from an examiner who conducted the October 2020 examination for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and a different examiner for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.
The deciding factor: The Board found the etiology opinions inadequate due to unclear explanations of how symptoms could have started in 1993, as well as confusion regarding the diagnosis date of CFS. The RO is instructed to obtain updated VA treatment records and secure any relevant outstanding private treatment records to substantiate the Veteran's claim of being exposed to depleted uranium during active service.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2021
- Citation
- 21010845
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 21010845.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Chronic Dermatitis were denied. The Board found that the Veteran's CFS did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, as his symptoms restricted routine daily activities to less than 50 percent of the pre-illness level. For Chronic Dermatitis, the Board determined that topical therapy was sufficient without requiring systemic therapy.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection claims have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for PTSD, denied service connection for CFS, mast cell activation syndrome, and sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD, and remanded TDIU.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and an increased rating for PTSD have been denied. Service connection for CFS was not granted due to lack of a diagnosed condition, while the PTSD claim had its initial evaluation reduced from 30% to 50% effective April 29, 2024.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) due to inadequate examination and failure to address relevant evidence.
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