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

The Board granted service connection for bilateral tinea pedis and assigned a 10 percent rating. The veteran's claims for increased ratings for patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee and right knee are pending.

The Board denied service connection for a skin disorder to include chloracne secondary to Agent Orange exposure, finding no new and material evidence has been submitted.

The Board found that the veteran's dermatitis was first noted during service and is linked to his active duty, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and an effective date prior to September 29, 1959. The appeals were all dismissed as not well grounded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinea cruris and cystic lesions of the back and neck, as well as his claim for an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss. The decision found that the veteran did not have a plausible basis for these claims.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates were denied.,His dysthymia was rated at 30 percent since February 14, 1997.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a noncompensable rating for dermatitis, finding that the veteran engaged in combat with enemy forces during his Vietnam service and provided sufficient evidence to support the occurrence of an inservice stressor. The compensable evaluation for dermatitis is denied as there is no exposed or extensive area affected.

The Board has determined that the appellant's chloracne, a disease presumed to be service-connected due to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam, was incurred during active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for chloracne, sterility, and a vascular disorder, all claimed as residuals of exposure to Agent Orange. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were present in service or within one year post-service.

The Board has remanded this case due to an unresolved issue regarding a claim of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the initial denial of service connection for a skin disability. The effective date for the grant of service connection is still pending.

The Board found no medical evidence linking the veteran's claimed conditions to his service-connected heart disease or any incident of service. Therefore, the claims for service connection were denied.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected seborrheic dermatitis, with actinic keratosis and tinea pedis onychomysosis was remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected tinea cruris, which is currently rated at 30 percent. The RO confirmed and continued the 10 percent rating in February 1995 and later increased it to 30 percent by a June 1995 decision. However, he contends that his symptoms have worsened and are more disabling than reflected by the current disability evaluation.

The veteran's seborrheic dermatitis is rated at 30 percent, and her right knee patellofemoral syndrome is rated at a noncompensable rating. The decision grants the increased rating for seborrheic dermatitis but denies the request for a compensable rating for the right knee condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for jungle rot of the feet and residuals of a spinal injury are not well-grounded as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has found that the veteran's claims for service connection are well-grounded and have granted them. The veteran is entitled to service connection for acne vulgaris, a right knee disorder, a left ankle disorder, tinnitus, and periodontal disease (for treatment purposes).

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal regarding the increased rating for cystic acne.

The veteran's claim for a compensable rating for service-connected chronic dermatitis (claimed as skin rash) is denied. The evidence does not show an active skin disorder at any time since July 16, 1996.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his contact dermatitis and hypertension, as well as a TDIU claim based on service-connected disabilities, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increase in disability ratings beyond the current levels.

The Board found no evidence of current tinea pedis and denied the veteran's claim for service connection.