Other conditions decisions — 2004

The Board denied service connection for idiopathic asceptic necrosis of the hips with bilateral hip replacement, finding no probative medical evidence linking the condition to service or any incident thereof.

The Board found that the veteran's post-service episodes of hepatosplenomegaly resolved without residuals and he does not currently have a medically diagnosed chronic liver or spleen disorder. Therefore, service connection for hepatosplenomegaly was denied.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, finding that she was not entitled to these benefits as her deceased husband had never been found to be totally disabled from service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's colon cancer due to ionizing radiation exposure is currently rated at 10 percent, and the appeal for an increased rating has been granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of the veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for syncope and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to provide proper VCAA notice and for further development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diffuse degenerative spondylosis of the thoracic spine with minimal compression deformities of the mid-thoracic vertebral bodies warrants an initial evaluation of 20 percent.

The VA determined that the veteran's groin strain did not originate in service and is not otherwise causally related to his military service, thus denying the claim.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for bunions, bilateral feet, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen a previously denied claim.

The veteran's hiatal hernia was rated at 10 percent from August 21, 1997 to October 26, 2001.,Since October 27, 2001, the veteran's hiatal hernia has been rated at 30 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, characterized as dementia/organic brain syndrome, and entitlement to accrued benefits due to lack of a proper party status.

The Board finds that the veteran's cause of death, acute myocardial infarction and coronary athesclerosis, was not caused by or substantially contributed to by his period of active duty service. The claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is also denied as there is no causal relationship between the cause of death and any service-connected disability.

The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis of gall bladder disease and concluded that the veteran's gall bladder disease did not begin in service or is otherwise related to service.

The veteran's initial claim for a right testicle spermatocele, post-right epididymectomy, was granted with a noncompensable disability evaluation. The Board found that his left knee disorder is related to service and granted service connection. However, the veteran does not have thrombophlebitis of the left leg or superficial phlebitis of the left leg attributable to military service.

The Board found that the veteran does not have residuals of head trauma involving memory loss and inability to read/write as a result of service.