The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's thrombocythemia is related to his exposure to herbicide agents and service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The examiner was asked to provide opinions on the likely etiology of the Veteran's thrombocythemia and determine if it is at least as likely as not related to his exposure to herbicide agents, but did not address all known herbicides (Agents White, Blue, and Orange II).
- Claimed conditions
- thrombocythemia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 16, 2022
- Citation
- 22052909
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 22052909.
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 thrombocythemia is currently rated noncompensable and the Board finds that a rating increase is not warranted as his condition has been asymptomatic throughout the appeal period.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for thrombocythemia and malignant skin neoplasm, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are due to exposure to environmental toxins during his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for thrombocythemia, finding that there was no evidence of a relationship between his condition and his active service, including herbicide exposure or secondary to his service-connected PTSD or diabetes mellitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for thrombocythemia and PTSD due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions. The Veteran's exposure to herbicides is conceded, but further examination and opinion are needed.
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