Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2004

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and arthritis, but found new and material evidence to reopen claims for residuals of injury to the right great toe and pancreatitis. The veteran's mixed connective tissue disease is not considered a skin condition.

The VA granted service connection for hypertension and assigned a noncompensable evaluation, which was later increased to 10 percent. The veteran disagreed with the initial rating of 10 percent for hypertension.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for chronic dermatitis of the feet, to include jungle rot, and finds that it is related to his active duty service. The claim is therefore granted.

The veteran is seeking a higher disability rating for his service-connected acne vulgaris. The case has been remanded to the VA Regional Office (RO) for further development and consideration.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for refractive error of the eyes, blepharitis and conjunctivitis, and seborrheic dermatitis due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis due to herbicide agent exposure. The left elbow shrapnel wound residuals claim is remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral tinea pedis and granted a compensable rating (10%) for the left hand scar. The veteran currently has no current diagnosis of bilateral tinea pedis, but he does have a non-disfiguring left hand scar with mild functional limitations.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for eczematoid dermatitis and chronic lumbosacral strain, as well as his claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU, have been granted. The effective date for the TDIU is August 5, 2000.

The veteran is seeking service connection for a skin disorder, claimed as chloracne. The VA has not obtained all of the veteran's medical records and needs to do so before determining if he is entitled to this benefit.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA skin examination to assess all current skin disabilities and their relationship to in-service skin problems.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for dermatophytosis (tinea pedis) of the feet, with onychomycosis, all toenails and all fingernails of the left hand was denied as his condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for a bowel condition, schizophrenia, and psoriasis. The veteran's claims are remanded to obtain medical records, seek authorization for release of VA treatment records, and provide the veteran with appropriate VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's shell fragment wound of the left shoulder and skin disorder (rash and dermatitis of the hands). The decision concluded that there was no relationship between these conditions and his military service or exposure to Agent Orange.

The veteran is granted a disability rating of 30 percent for his service-connected folliculitis barbae, effective from the date of this decision.

The Board has granted a compensable rating of 10 percent for atopic dermatitis and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a Travel Board hearing.

The veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for residuals of a gunshot wound to the left calf and service connection for a skin disability, including as secondary to exposure to Agent Orange, were denied. The Board found no evidence that the current skin disabilities resulted from in-service events or exposures.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disability, including chloracne, as due to exposure to Agent Orange. The evidence does not show that the veteran had chloracne within one year of his separation from service in Vietnam.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a skin disorder, claimed as chloracne, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service or any incident thereof.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bronchial asthma and for service connection for cardiac disability and skin disability. The veteran's bronchial asthma is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations.