The Board has granted service connection for a hematologic and lymphatic disability, including MDS with manifestations progressing to AML. The appeal for anxiety and depression is dismissed as moot due to the VA rating decision recognizing these conditions as manifestations of service-connected psychiatric disorders.
The deciding factor: The appellant's hematologic and lymphatic disabilities are found to be caused by his exposure to herbicide agents during active-duty military service in Vietnam, which qualifies him for presumptive service connection under the Agent Orange Act. The anxiety and depression were recognized as secondary to service-connected psychiatric conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- hematologic and lymphatic disability, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), anemia with macrocytosis, anisocytosis, dysmegakaryopoiesis, fatigue, dizziness, gastrointestinal difficulties (e.g. nutritional deficiency and weight loss), neutropenia, normocellular marrow with trilineage hematopoiesis, pancytopenia with macrocytosis, polychromasia, and thrombocytopenia
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- November 4, 2024
- Citation
- A24071484
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 785 · Granted: 27% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A24071484.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that additional VA opinions are needed to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's dizziness, including benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and tension headaches, including migraines. The opinions should consider the Veteran's participation in a TERA and the combined effect of all his service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Veteran's dizziness condition is rated at a 10 percent disability rating under Diagnostic Code 6204, as the evidence does not show occasional staggering. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches, as secondary to tinnitus, is granted. The claims for service connection for hearing loss disability and a disability manifested by shortness of breath other than chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis are denied. The claims for service connection for an intestinal disability (diverticulitis), fatigue, hypertension, neck disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, upper and lower back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right hip disability, left hip disability, right foot pain, left foot pain, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and an acquired psychiatric disorder are all denied.
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