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

The Veteran was granted a 30 percent rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae, but the claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic dermatological disorder, including chloracne, secondary to Agent Orange exposure due to lack of evidence linking the condition to his military service.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for tinea pedis, finding that it was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for skin disease, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to his military service.

The Board granted service connection for chronic dermatitis, finding that the evidence supports a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board remands the claims for a higher initial rating for low back disability, dermatitis, and PTSD to schedule VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, chloracne, soft tissue sarcoma, Graves' disease, cervical spine disorder, and PTSD were denied. The ratings for essential hypertension with ocular changes, hypertensive heart disease, peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, and TDIU were also denied.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a right hip disability, varicose veins, tinea pedis, and hallux valgus to ensure that VA fulfills its duties to notify and assist the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for psoriasis as there is no competent medical evidence of a current diagnosis and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that any current disability is related to service.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grants of service connection for PTSD and tinea versicolor of the back, as the first communication from the Veteran evidencing intent to file claims was received on May 31, 2005.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is rated at 70 percent disabling, and the effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD remains January 17, 2006.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for additional development of the record, including an attempt to obtain records from the Long Beach VA Medical Center in the early 1970s.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, bilateral leg disability, including bilateral stasis dermatitis, and arthritis of the feet as they were not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development and readjudication of the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for chronic dermatitis, to include eczema.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities, pursuant to 38 C.F.R. § 3.324, as legally insufficient.

The Veteran's skin condition does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for chloracne for a new VA examination to assess the current severity and extent of the Veteran's skin condition.

The Board denied service connection for a right foot disability, finding that the in-service injury resolved without complication or sequela and was not related to current complaints of pain.

The appeal is remanded to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC) in Washington, D.C., for scheduling a Travel Board or videoconference hearing as requested by the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for seborrhea dermatitis, finding no evidence of the condition during or shortly after service and no credible link to herbicide exposure.