Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2012

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a skin disability and granted it, finding that new evidence supports the claim.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding service connection for hypertension prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining an opinion on the relationship between his pseudofolliculitis barbae and service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, as well as a VA examination to determine the extent of his onychomycosis.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 60 percent for chronic dermatitis/erythrodermatitis prior to June 17, 2010 was granted. The effective date is set at August 31, 2004.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chloracne and headaches are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining records from Futenma Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, and a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disability, secondary to diabetes mellitus, remains on appeal and requires further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining medical records. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected chloracne is pending.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for dermatitis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, as his dermatitis covered less than five percent of his entire body and exposed areas, and he had been prescribed topical steroid creams but no systemic therapy.

The VA has granted service connection for seborrheic dermatitis of the face and scalp, but only assigned a non-compensable evaluation (10%) as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic code.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for contact dermatitis and granted it. The Veteran's depression is found to be related to his service-connected degenerative disc disease, but a new rating in excess of 20 percent for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of her right knee disability and dermatitis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability, a psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression), or a skin disorder (chronic dermatitis and onychomycosis) due to service. The decision is in favor of granting service connection for the skin disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disability, including as due to exposure at Camp Lejeune, is being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records, arrange for examinations, and consider the claims.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been withdrawn, thus these issues are dismissed.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA skin examination. The Veteran is seeking service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for frontal sinusitis and seborrheic dermatitis are being remanded due to incomplete development. The RO/AMC is instructed to obtain private medical records, employment leave records, and attempt to rate the disabilities under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has granted service connection for chloracne due to Agent Orange exposure, but denied service connection for basal cell carcinoma and lupus. The Veteran's right hand condition is presumed to be related to his Vietnam service, while the skin cancer and lupus are not considered likely due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's psoriatic arthritis is found to be caused by his service-connected psoriasis. The status of the other issues remains unknown.

The Veteran's tinea versicolor is not shown to affect an area of more than 40 percent of the entire body or more than 40 percent of exposed areas, nor did the condition require constant or near-constant systemic therapy such as corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs during the past twelve-month period. Therefore, his claim for a higher rating is denied.