Citation Nr: 21072219
Decision Date: 12/02/21	Archive Date: 12/02/21

DOCKET NO. 12-21 537
DATE: December 2, 2021

REMANDED

Entitlement to service connection for blurred vision, to include as secondary to service-connected depression disorder, major neurogenic disorder, and traumatic brain injury, is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran had active-duty service from July 1978 to May 1984.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) from a February 2011 rating decision issued by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).

The Board last remanded the Veteran's claim in June 2021 to obtain an addendum medical opinion given the inadequacy of the October 2020 VA examination report. Now of record is an August 2021 VA medical examination and opinion addressing the same, and to that extent alone, the Board finds that its June 2021 remand directives have been substantially complied with. See Stegall v. West, 11 Vet. App. 268, 271 (1998).

Entitlement to service connection for blurred vision, to include as secondary to service-connected depression disorder, major neurogenic disorder, and traumatic brain injury is remanded.

In the November 2021 post-remand appellate brief, the Veteran's representative points out that, although raised by the record, VA has not addressed the theory of entitlement that the Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, to include the medications prescribed for that disability, is the proximate cause of, or aggravates, his claimed blurred vision condition. In support thereof, medical literature was submitted indicating that anti-depressants can cause, or otherwise lead to, cataract formation, of which the Veteran has a current diagnosis of. See November 2021 post-remand appellate brief and August 2021 VA examination report (noting the Veteran has a diagnosis of cataracts in both eyes). As such, the Board finds that a remand is in order to obtain an addendum medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's claimed blurred vision condition is proximately due to, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by, his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder. See Robinson v. Peake, 21 F.3d 545, 553 (Fed. Cir. 2008).

The matters are REMANDED for the following action:

Obtain an addendum medical opinion for the claim on appeal; it is left to the discretion of the VA examiner as to whether an in-person VA medical examination should be scheduled. Upon review of the record, to include this remand, and as indicated below, the VA examiner is requested to opine as to the following:

Is it at least as likely as not (50 percent probability or greater) that the Veteran's claimed for blurred vision condition is proximately due to service-connected disability, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected disability, to include, but not limited to, his acquired psychiatric disorder and the medications prescribed to treat that disability?

The VA examiner must specifically address the medical literature submitted in support of the Veteran's claim drawing an association between antidepressants and cataracts. See VBMS, document titled "Appellate Brief," dated November 16, 2021.

The VA examiner must provide separate findings and rationales relating to causation and aggravation.

 

 

C. Casey

Acting Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans' Appeals

Attorney for the Board	S.R. Fey, Associate Counsel

The Board's decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.