BVA9504928 
DOCKET NO.  93-12 701     )       DATE
          )
          )
On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania

THE ISSUES

1.  Entitlement to an increased rating for otitis media,
currently evaluated 10 percent disabling.

2.  Entitlement to an increased (compensable) rating for
bilateral defective hearing with tinnitus.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Disabled American Veterans

WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL

Appellant and spouse.

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Siobhan Brogdon, Counsel

REMAND

The veteran served on active duty from May 1942 until November
1945.

The veteran asserts that his service-connected hearing impairment
is more severely disabling than reflected by the currently
assigned disability evaluation and warrants a compensable rating.
A review of the record discloses that he was most recently
afforded a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) audiology
examination for compensation and pension purposes in January
1993.  The record reflects, however, the Board of Veterans'
Appeals (Board) is unable to properly evaluate the findings of
the audiometry portion of that examination to proceed with
further adjudication of the claim because a speech recognition
score has been inadvertently excised.  Under the circumstances of
this case, further development is required before final
disposition of the issues on appeal.  Accordingly the case is
REMANDED to the VA Regional Office (RO) for the following action:

The veteran should be afforded a current
VA audiology examination, to include an
audiometry evaluation, in order to
determine the extent of all ear-related
disability now indicated.  The examination
summary should be typed and audiometer
findings should be reported in the
recognized format.

Thereafter, the case should be returned to the Board, if in
order.  The Board intimates no opinion as to the ultimate outcome
of this case.  The appellant need take no action unless otherwise
notified.

          BRUCE KANNEE
          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) (1994).