The Veteran's claim for service connection for an anxiety disorder, related to his fear of hostile military activity during service in Southwest Asia, is denied as he does not have a separate and distinct diagnosis from his already service-connected PTSD.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and hair loss are remanded due to insufficient evidence addressing the etiology of these conditions.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a disability manifested by hair loss is also remanded as there is insufficient evidence addressing the etiology of this condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of anxiety separate and distinct from symptoms associated with his PTSD. The VA medical professionals who examined him concluded that the Veteran's anxiety was related to his service-connected PTSD.,The February 2022 VA examination did not provide sufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome is due to environmental exposures during service in Southwest Asia, or if it is caused by other conditions such as OSA and COPD. The examiner also failed to consider private treatment records documenting fatigue since the Veteran's return from deployment.,The February 2022 VA examination did not provide sufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's hair loss is due to environmental exposures during service in Southwest Asia, or if it is caused by other conditions such as OSA and COPD. The examiner also failed to consider private treatment records documenting fatigue since the Veteran's return from deployment.
- Claimed conditions
- Anxiety Disorder, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Hair Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2022
- Citation
- 22034255
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 22034255.
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 initial ratings for anxiety disorder and TBI were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome due to conflicting medical evidence regarding the potential diagnosis. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further review and consideration.
- Denied
The Board denied eligibility to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a March 2024 rating decision because the March 2024 rating decision was an initial decision granting service connection for anxiety disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD and associated conditions are granted effective from November 15, 2024.
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