The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's eye disabilities, specifically addressing whether they are related to service or caused by his facial burn scars.
The deciding factor: The July 2022 examiner did not provide a clear nexus opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired eye disorders other than dry eye syndrome. The Board also found that no opinion has been provided on the etiology of his presbyopia, which may be due to a superimposed disease or injury during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral blepharitis, Hordeolum (left eye), Nuclear sclerotic cataract (left eye), Bilateral pinguecula, Presbyopia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2022
- Citation
- 22071478
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 22071478.
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 TDIU claim was denied because the evidence did not show that his service-connected PTSD rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, left knee osteoarthritis, and left ankle sprain, while denying service connection for hypertension. The Board also granted an initial 20% rating for bilateral dry eye syndrome but denied compensable ratings for bilateral pinguecula and a right ring finger disability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral blepharitis, finding it to be related to the Veteran's in-service exposure to environmental hazards and other toxins during his Persian Gulf War service. The remaining claims for service connection for a gallbladder disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions and denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection, except for a 10 percent rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae and a 20 percent rating for bilateral dry eye syndrome.
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