Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2007

The Board found that the reduction in the rating for bilateral hearing loss from 10 percent to 0 percent was proper, as evidenced by improved hearing levels. The service connection claims for flat feet and pseudofolliculitis barbae were denied.

The veteran's service-connected psoriasis has been rated at 30 percent since October 14, 2002. The Board denied an evaluation in excess of this rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for scalp folliculitis with seborrheic dermatitis and residuals of DVT of the left leg, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran seeks service connection for chloracne, which he claims is due to Agent Orange exposure during his service in Vietnam. The VA has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any skin disorder, including whether it is as likely as not related to service, to include exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, claudication in both legs, and pseudofolliculitis barbae. The veteran was also denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral pes planus and a compensable rating for migraine type headaches.

The veteran's seborrheic blepharitis and seborrheic dermatitis are currently rated at 10 percent, while the claim for service connection of gastritis is reopened but not yet evaluated.

The Board found that the veteran's current skin conditions, including eczema and lichen simplex chronicus, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The pre-existing condition of eczema was considered to have been a result of natural progression rather than aggravation during service.

The Board found service connection for a low back disorder, residuals of prostate urethritis, and a skin disorder (pseudofolliculitis barbae) to be warranted based on direct evidence. The veteran's current conditions are considered service-connected.

The veteran's eczema of the hands, arms and elbows is rated at 60 percent disabling under revised criteria effective August 30, 2002. The Board also granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disability.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluation, service connection for a right great toe and second toe injury, low back disorder, and hypertension were all denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an increased rating or service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right leg disability, residuals of herniated nucleus pulposus, and tinea pedis. The decision found no current disability related to these conditions and that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen the claims.

The veteran's death was not service-connected, and he did not meet the 10-year duration requirement for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for chloracne, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and his military service, including presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The veteran failed to report for a VA examination which would have provided such evidence.

The veteran's hypertension and chloracne claims are being remanded for additional development to determine their relationship to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disability and paresthesia of the right side extremities, both presumed to be related to exposure to Agent Orange during his Vietnam-era service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased rating for acne vulgaris, higher initial rating for PTSD, service connection for sleep apnea, and service connection for IBS as secondary to PTSD. The appeals were not about service connection at all.

The Board has granted an initial 30 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected tinea cruris, effective from September 27, 1999.

The Board denied increased ratings for dermatitis of the left thumb and chronic colitis with spastic colon, finding that the current ratings were appropriate based on the symptoms described by the veteran.

The veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae, tinea cruris, and perirectal abscess are currently rated as noncompensable. The veteran's digestive system disorder is not service connected.,There is no evidence of a current digestive system disorder that can be linked to service.

The veteran's tinea cruris and tinea pedis were incurred during his military service, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.