The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information and the need for a VA examination. The Veteran's gastrointestinal issues are being recharacterized as celiac disease, and he is considered to have participated in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) during service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's gastrointestinal issues may be related to his service-connected PTSD and/or his conceded exposure to burn pits and other toxins. The VA examiner will provide opinions on the relationship between these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- gastroesophageal reflux disease, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 30, 2023
- Citation
- 23047968
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 23047968.
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 Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for adhesions as secondary to irritable bowel syndrome, finding that there was no nexus between the claimed condition and service or a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's celiac disease is related to his service, specifically his TERA exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for esophageal stricture and gastroesophageal reflux disease due to a failure to obtain a medical opinion regarding the latter condition. The claim will be reconsidered after obtaining such an opinion.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for effective dates earlier than July 18, 2024, for the awards of service connection for tinnitus, tension headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome have been dismissed.
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