The Board granted service connection for perforation of right tympanic membrane, secondary to service-connected oropharyngeal cancer with impairment of the soft palate and denied an increased rating higher than 20 percent for chronic osteomyelitis to include osteoradionecrosis of the temporal bone.
The deciding factor: The private physician's opinion that the Veteran's perforation of right tympanic membrane is as likely as not caused by his treatment modalities for his service-connected disability of squamous cell carcinoma of the soft palate was given substantial probative weight, while there was no evidence of involucrum or sequestrum to warrant a higher rating for chronic osteomyelitis.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic osteomyelitis to include osteoradionecrosis of the temporal bone, perforation of right tympanic membrane
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- February 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25016817
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (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 A25016817.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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 claims for service connection for tinnitus, perforation of right tympanic membrane, postoperative residuals of tympanoplasty and mastoidectomy of the right ear, and chronic otitis media and earaches. The Board found that these conditions were not incurred in or aggravated by his active military service.
- Denied
The Board found that the veteran's current conditions, including left ear hearing loss, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with chronic bronchitis, perforation of right tympanic membrane, and arteriosclerotic heart disease, are not related to his active duty service. The claims for these conditions were denied as there is no evidence linking them to service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
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