Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2000

The veteran's appeal is about his service-connected atopic dermatitis and he seeks a higher evaluation. The Board has ordered additional examination, records collection, and compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The Board has found that the veteran's current skin disorders, diagnosed as recurrent tinea pedis, tinea cruris, eczema, and pseudofolliculitis barbae, were incurred during active military service.

The Board has found that the evidence is in equipoise and grants service connection for psoriasis of the hands and feet, finding it plausible that the veteran incurred this condition during his active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for sensorineural hearing loss of the right ear and bilateral tinea pedis and onychomycosis of the nails of the feet, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his active duty.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims of service connection for muscle spasms and PLMS/myoclonus as an undiagnosed neurological illness, GERD, and tinea versicolor. The decision also indicates that further clarification is needed regarding the environmental hazards to which the appellant was exposed during his tour in the Persian Gulf War.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected skin disability was denied by the RO. The Board has remanded the case to obtain additional medical records and schedule the veteran for a VA dermatological examination.

The Board denied reopening of the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, Tinea Cruris due to Agent Orange exposure, and Peripheral Neuropathy and Chloracne due to Agent Orange exposure. The RO must issue a statement of the case on these issues.

The case is being remanded due to incomplete medical records and the need for further examinations. The appellant's service-connected conditions are tinea versicolor of the upper back and a left ankle disability.

The veteran's tinea pedis of both feet is rated as a minimum compensable evaluation (10%) due to recurring symptoms, but not constant or severe enough for a higher rating.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, hypertension at 10 percent, patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee at 10 percent, and eczematous dyshidrosis of the feet has been granted a compensable evaluation.

The veteran's claim for service connection for decreased visual acuity is pending. The appeal regarding the initial rating for his back disability has been denied, and he was granted a noncompensable rating for his eczema of the hands.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than April 20, 1995, for a 10 percent rating for his service-connected neurodermatitis, eczema. The Board also found that there was no clear and unmistakable error in reducing the evaluation from 10 to zero percent in November 1972.

The Board has granted a 30% evaluation for acne, effective from July 1997. The veteran's service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae is not compensably rated as there is no evidence of the required manifestations.

The Board has found that the veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis, a respiratory disorder, and chloracne have been denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The RO conducted an examination but did not find any current disabilities related to service or exposure to herbicides.

The VA has denied an increased rating for lumbosacral strain and dermatitis, but granted a 10% evaluation for dermatitis. The claim to reopen service connection for syringomyelia with syrinx in the cervical spinal canal was not successful.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for skin disability, finding that his statements regarding the onset of his skin disability were not credible and there was no medical evidence showing a link to service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for the veteran's service-connected bilateral athlete's foot, effective from the date of his claim.

The veteran's psoriasis and onychomycosis are currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling. The Board has found that the current symptomatology does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7806, but finds that separate ratings can be assigned for each condition.

The Board dismissed the appellant's claim of entitlement to service connection for chloracne due to herbicide exposure because he failed to respond to requests for information and evidence necessary to make a decision on the merits of his appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for alopecia areata and denied service connection for atrophic rhinitis and tinea pedis. The decision on tinea pedis remains pending as the RO is requested to obtain additional medical records.