The Board granted service connection for a condition manifested by salivary gland issues and increased the ratings for loss of teeth to 40 percent and hypothyroidism to 30 percent, while dismissing the appeal for sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Veteran's salivary glands were permanently damaged due to treatment for laryngeal cancer, resulting in only one of six salivary glands left partially functioning. The Board resolved all doubt in favor of the Veteran regarding his dental and hypothyroidism claims, finding them to be at least in equipoise.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, salivary gland issues, loss of teeth, hypothyroidism, laryngeal cancer with residual esophageal stricture
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 12, 2025
- Citation
- A25051630
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 service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and no competent evidence linking the condition to service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, elbows condition, cervical condition, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, sleep apnea, wrists condition, asthma, shoulders condition, ankles condition, eye condition (bilateral dry macular degeneration), peripheral vascular disease (heart condition), and rhinitis.
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