Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2005

The Board has found that the veteran's dermatological disability of the face and neck originated during his active duty service, thus granting service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for an annual clothing allowance due to his service-connected skin condition chloracne (herbicide)/pseudo follicular barbae, which requires continued oral and topical therapies.

The veteran's service-connected atopic and allergic contact dermatitis is rated as 60 percent disabling, which meets the criteria for a TDIU rating.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began in or are related to his military service.,Specifically, the Board found no objective medical evidence of undiagnosed illnesses and concluded that the veteran's symptoms were attributable to known diagnoses.

The veteran's dermatitis with fungus infection of the feet is rated at 10 percent. The Board has also granted service connection for hypertension, finding it likely related to hyperlipidemia incurred during service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for acne and PTSD. The decision found that there was insufficient evidence to support an in-service stressor for PTSD, and thus denied service connection for this condition.

The veteran's claim for an annual clothing allowance was denied as there was no medical certification that the prescribed medication caused irreparable damage to his outergarments.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinea pedis and assigned a 10 percent initial evaluation, which is the maximum schedular rating available under current regulations.

The veteran's allergic rhinitis and seborrheic dermatitis of the face were both rated as non-compensable (zero percent) in an August 1999 rating decision.,Neither condition has been shown to warrant a compensable evaluation under either the old or new VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The veteran's request for an increased rating for tinea pedis is remanded due to the need for a skin examination to determine the current severity of his condition and its impact on different areas of his body.

The VA determined that the veteran's eczema of the hands and feet does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent, as it did not meet the criteria for more severe disability under the old evaluation criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for a skin disorder and found that the appellant's fatigue is encompassed in his service-connected Hepatitis B disability. The case of gastrointestinal disorder is addressed in the REMAND portion.

The veteran's prostatitis is not service-connected, but his tinea corporis and tinea cruris are shown to have been first manifested in service. Service connection for PTSD has been granted, with a rating of 70 percent effective July 13, 2005.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for multiple lipomata and tinea pedis, both linked to herbicide exposure. The claim for initial noncompensable rating for tinea cruris/corporis was not addressed in this decision.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death, concluding that the veteran's service-connected tinea versicolor did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions and to determine if additional evidence should be obtained.

The Board has remanded the issues of increased evaluations for traumatic arthritis of the left ankle and tinea pedis, as well as a claim for TDIU. The veteran's claims are pending with the RO.

The veteran's disabilities do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for VA pension purposes.

The Board found that the veteran's multiple joint pain due to an undiagnosed illness is manifested by episodic but not constant pain and stiffness in his hands, with exacerbations often precipitated by environmental or emotional stress. The tinea pedis with onychomycosis of the feet was also noted, with a combined area exposed for both feet being 5%.

The RO denied the veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected psoriasis, as the evidence did not show that it met the criteria for a higher evaluation under the applicable VA rating criteria.