Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2009

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn for the majority of issues. The claim for an increased rating for chronic fatigue syndrome is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation. The Veteran is also not entitled to special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO in Atlanta, Georgia, for an appropriate hearing and further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including prostatitis, ulcers, stomatitis, eye infections, mouth disorder/laryngitis, body odor, diverticulosis, sinusitis, and chloracne, all of which are presumed to be due to herbicide exposure during his Vietnam-era service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, blepharitis and pinguecula of both eyes, headaches, and a skin disorder of the feet were denied as there was no evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active military service.

The Veteran's skin disorder was granted a 60% rating effective January 11, 2005. The Board vacated the previous decision denying higher initial ratings for the eczematous dermatitis prior to September 20, 2004 and from September 20, 2004 until January 10, 2005.

The Veteran's skin disability, characterized by tinea manum (left hand), tinea pedis, tinea unguium and tinea cruris, is not productive of ulceration, extensive exfoliation, systemic or nervous manifestations, exceptional repugnancy, coverage of more than 40 percent of the entire body or more than 40 percent of the exposed area affected, or constant or near-constant use of systemic therapy such as corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs during the past 12-month period. Therefore, a disability rating in excess of 30 percent is not warranted. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is productive of puretone threshold averages no higher than 45 with speech recognition ability of 88 percent bilaterally and does not meet the criteria for an initial compensable disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal regarding a higher disability rating for service-connected neurodermatitis, bilateral legs was dismissed because he did not file a timely substantive appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's skin disorder is related to service.

The VA determined that the appellant's skin disorder, including pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for service-connected right shoulder disability and dermatitis are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for leukemia was denied as there is no medical evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's active duty service and his current diagnosis. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for psoriasis is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of service connection for heart disorder, bunions of the right foot, and skin disorder (including acne) are pending.

The Veteran is seeking special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance or being housebound due to his service-connected disabilities. However, a remand is necessary as the VA examinations did not consider whether his medications render him housebound.

The Veteran's seborrheic dermatitis is not rated as compensable due to the lack of evidence showing more than topical therapy required during the past 12-month period.

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a link between any of these disorders and active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for chloracne, claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure, and an increased rating for his right elbow disorder. The evidence did not support a finding of service connection due to lack of continuity of symptomatology post-service or medical opinion linking the current condition to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation by reason of the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or due to being housebound.

The Board found that the Veteran's combined rating of 60 percent for his service-connected conditions does not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for nonservice-connected pension purposes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected conditions do not warrant a compensable rating or service connection, and thus the appeal is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral onychomycosis and tinea pedis were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, thus denying his claims for service connection.