Rheumatoid arthritis decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for ED, multiple joint rheumatoid arthritis, neck disability with cervical radiculopathy and degenerative arthritis, and back disability with bilateral lumbar radiculopathy and degenerative arthritis to obtain additional medical opinions that comply with previous remand directives.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, and a compensable disability evaluation for pseudofolliculitis barbae.

The Board granted service connection for Graves' Disease and chronic allergic conjunctivitis, secondary to Graves' Disease, but denied service connection for high cholesterol. The claim for degenerative arthritis was remanded.

The Board granted service connection for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bilateral upper extremities pain, an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), and squamous cell carcinoma of the anus as secondary to service-connected hepatitis C. However, psoriatic arthritis was denied.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for the lumbar spine disability, service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the lumbar spine disability, but denied a compensable rating for hypertension. The issues of service connection for foot and knee disabilities were remanded.

The Board denied service connection for Parkinson's disease and diabetes mellitus, as there was no evidence that these conditions began during a qualifying period of active duty. The claims for rheumatoid arthritis, bladder prolapse, bronchitis, and bilateral foot disability were remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including seronegative rheumatoid arthritis, sleep disturbances, right shoulder disability, back disability, groin disability, bilateral foot condition, and bilateral knee disabilities, to correct pre-decisional errors in the VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, severe sinusitis, and peripheral neuropathy in the right upper extremity, right lower extremity, left upper extremity, and left lower extremity due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active duty service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board granted service connection for pyoderma gangrenosum of the left and right legs, but remanded claims for sero negative rheumatoid arthritis affecting multiple joints.

The claim for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis is remanded to obtain a medical opinion addressing the possibility of a nexus between the claimed disability and toxic exposure risk activities during the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran was granted a 100 percent evaluation for service-connected rheumatoid arthritis and SMC based on housebound criteria, both effective December 6, 2020.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and remanded several service connection claims due to missing service treatment records.

The veteran's appeals for increased ratings for the knees and rheumatoid arthritis in the legacy appeals system are dismissed.

The appeal contesting the proposed severance of service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, left knee, is dismissed because no final decision has been made.

The Board granted service connection for rheumatoid arthritis in all extremities, Sjogren's syndrome, a skin condition, and a thyroid condition. The evaluation for diabetes was denied, but the Veteran received an increased rating of 40 percent for peripheral neuropathy in both lower extremities from May 17, 2018, as well as TDIU.