The Veteran's claims for service connection for PFB and vertigo have been denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The gastrointestinal disability, including GERD and viral gastroenteritis, has not been established as related to service or secondary to PTSD-induced weight gain.,Left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and right ankle strain are also not found to be related to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's PFB is not supported by evidence of a chronic condition during service, and no current diagnosis was established. The Veteran's vertigo does not have a documented onset or relationship to service.,Gastrointestinal disability has been diagnosed but there is insufficient evidence linking it to service. The examiner found that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his PTSD-induced weight gain rather than any in-service gastrointestinal complaints.
- Claimed conditions
- Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB), Vertigo, Gastrointestinal Disability (to include gastroesophageal reflux disease and viral gastroenteritis), Left Knee Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (LKPFS), Right Ankle Strain, Sleep Apnea, Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2026
- Citation
- A26029626
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 A26029626.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Denied
The claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for vertigo and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's hearing loss is not rated higher than 10 percent.
- Dismissed
The appeal to revise the effective date for a 50% disability rating for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) is dismissed because the July 2024 proposed rating decision was not an appealable determination.
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