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

The Board found that the veteran's neurodermatitis is more likely than not related to service, as it began before service but worsened during service. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chloracne and porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) with sensitivity to light, numbness and tingling in extremities. The VA found no evidence of chloracne and concluded that PCT was not incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, bilateral plantar fasciitis, vascular malformation of the right forearm, ulcerative colitis, tinea cruris and onychomycosis of the toenails, and panic disorder and major depression are all denied.,Service connection is granted for tinea pedis (toenail fungus) based on service connection already established.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for chondromalacia of the left and right knees, as well as tinea versicolor of the chest and upper back, are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has granted an evaluation of 30 percent for tinea manum, left hand, with onychomycosis. The veteran's claim for service connection for loss of additional teeth was also granted.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and adjudication, including the consideration of her claims for increased ratings for service-connected disabilities and a TDIU. The RO must also obtain all relevant medical records and conduct a VA examination to assess the impact of her service-connected conditions on her employability.

The Board has determined that the appeal is dismissed due to a lack of timely substantive appeal for the initial evaluation of acne vulgaris. The remaining issues are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board denied service connection for a skin disorder, periodontal gum disease, and hypertension as secondary to the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus. Service connection was granted for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected rheumatoid arthritis of the right and left shoulders, as well as pseudofolliculitis barbae.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for earlier effective date, increased rating, and reopening of a claim for ulcers. The remaining issues are related to knee disabilities, pes planus, and skin conditions.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected skin and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development of medical records.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for psoriasis and a 50 percent evaluation for psoriatic arthritis, effective from August 30, 2002.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for chloracne, which he claimed was secondary to exposure to Agent Orange. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current skin disorder and concluded that VA did not have sufficient information to determine if the veteran had been exposed to herbicides during his service in Vietnam.

The veteran was granted TDIU effective from August 24, 1993. The RO moved the effective date back to July 10, 2002.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to incomplete information, potential conflicts in service records, and need for additional medical examinations.

The veteran's service-connected skin disorders are currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The claim for residuals of cold injuries of the hands is denied due to lack of current evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the current disability ratings were appropriate under both the former and revised criteria.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluation of seborrheic dermatitis, service connection for various skin disabilities, stomach disability, neck disability, back disability, shoulder disability, joint disability, and low blood pressure disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection or an increase in rating under any applicable criteria.

The veteran's skin disorder, chronic dermatitis, was evaluated at 30 percent disabling prior to August 30, 2002. After that date, the condition manifested with scaling on the feet and small growths on the trunk, but did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied an increased rating for post-traumatic stress disorder, and did not address the earlier effective date claim.