BVA9503180 
DOCKET NO.  93-03 747     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in New Orleans,
Louisiana

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to service connection for bilateral defective
hearing.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Veterans of Foreign Wars of the
United States

INTRODUCTION

The veteran served on active duty from July 1953 to June 1957.

This appeal arises from a July 1991 rating action of the New
Orleans, Louisiana Regional Office (RO) of the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) which denied service connection for
bilateral defective hearing.

The issue of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus,
which was the subject of a supplemental statement of the case in
April 1992, was dropped by the veteran and his representative as
an issue on appeal.

The case was administratively remanded by the Board (by letter)
in May 1993 so that the veteran could have a Travel Board
hearing.  He failed to report for such a hearing, scheduled in
August 1993.  The case has been returned to the Board for a
decision as to the issue on appeal.

REMAND

The enlistment examination revealed no pertinent defects.
Service medical records reveal that in March 1957 the veteran
complained of having distorted hearing for the past month
associated with a headache over the right eye.  He reported that
he was a musician, and that after a sound is struck he continues
to have a vibration, even though there is no sound.  He said that
these symptoms usually begin about 40 minutes following a
practice session.  He noted that pain will develop into a
headache over the eye.  Examination revealed no evidence of
infection in the ears.  The veteran was scheduled for an
audiogram.  However, service medical records do not reveal that
the audiogram was performed.  In July 1992, the veteran indicated
in a letter that the recommended audiogram was not done in
service.

The service discharge examination reported normal scores on the
whispered and spoken voice tests, but an audiogram was not done
at this time either.

A private audiometric examination in March 1992 revealed a
bilateral hearing loss with notation that the thresholds were
slightly improved over the last audiometric testing in June 1987.

The case is remanded for the following action:

1.  The veteran should be asked to furnish
a report of all audiometric testing and
otological examinations he has had since
discharge from service.  The RO should then
obtain a report of the audiometric testing
performed in June 1987 at the offices of L.
J. Donna, M.D., any earlier audiometric
reports which this physician might have,
and any additional records of audiometric
testing and ear examinations reported by
the veteran.

2.  The veteran should be accorded a VA
otological examination with audiometric
testing to ascertain the nature and extent
of any current hearing loss.  The physician
conducting the otological examination
should review all assembled service and
post service medical records and express an
opinion as to whether any current hearing
loss is related to the symptoms of
distorted hearing which the veteran
complained of in service, in March 1957.

When the above development has been completed the case should be
reviewed by the RO.  If the benefit appealed for is not granted,
the veteran and his representative should be furnished with a
supplemental statement of the case and afforded a

reasonable time to reply thereto.  Thereafter, the case should be
returned to the Board for further appellate consideration if in
order.  No action is required of the veteran until notified.  The
purpose of this remand is to procure clarifying data.

          BRUCE E. HYMAN
          Member, Board of Veterans' Appeals

The Board of Veterans' Appeals Administrative Procedures
Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 103-271, § 6, 108 Stat. 740, ___
(1994), permits a proceeding instituted before the Board to be
assigned to an individual member of the Board for a
determination.  This proceeding has been assigned to an
individual member of the Board.

Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7252 (West 1991), only a decision of the
Board of Veterans' Appeals is appealable to the United States
Court of Veterans Appeals.  This remand is in the nature of a
preliminary order and does not constitute a decision of the Board
on the merits of your appeal.  38 C.F.R. § 20.1100(b) (1993).