The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include persistent depressive disorder, moderate, with anxious distress, due to a need for an adequate medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The current medical opinion is inadequate as it did not address whether the Veteran's service-connected melanoma in situ, with scar on left cheek, aggravated his persistent depressive disorder, moderate, with anxious distress.
- Claimed conditions
- persistent depressive disorder, moderate, with anxious distress
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2025
- Citation
- A25034813
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks and persistent depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's mental health difficulties began during active service.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for tinnitus, persistent depressive disorder as secondary to tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss are dismissed due to mootness.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a supplemental medical opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's knee and ankle disabilities without medication, as well as an opinion on the etiology of his psychiatric conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for fibromyalgia, sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis, and denied a 100 percent rating for persistent depressive disorder. The claims for service connection were remanded.
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