The Board granted service connection for myelodysplastic syndrome and thrombocytopenia, as well as Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) based on the cause of the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports a direct link between the Veteran's participation in a Toxic Exposure Risk Activity during active service and his development of myelodysplastic syndrome. Thrombocytopenia was found to be proximately due to the service-connected myelodysplastic syndrome.
- Claimed conditions
- myelodysplastic syndrome, thrombocytopenia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2025
- Citation
- A25104293
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,772 · Granted: 37% (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 A25104293.
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)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for blood cancer, leukemia, eye disorder, myelodysplastic syndrome, and thrombocytopenia due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service. The case is remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for myeloproliferative disorder and thrombocytopenia, related to in-service radiation exposure during Operation Tomodachi, are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination. The issues of entitlement to a temporary total disability rating due to hospitalization or treatment for a service-connected condition requiring convalescence are also being remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the service connection claims.
- Denied
The Veteran's red cell aplasia and myelodysplastic syndrome were not found to be related to service, specifically exposure at Camp Lejeune. The Board determined that the presumptive service connection for contaminated water exposure did not apply due to insufficient time spent at Camp Lejeune.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for leukemia, thrombocytopenia, and bone marrow transplant with acquired agranulocytosis. The Veteran's Fanconi anemia is not considered a service-connected condition due to its congenital nature. Service connection was also denied for hepatocarcinoma and cirrhosis of the liver.
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