Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including myasthenia gravis, skin rash (undiagnosed), and blurred vision, are not related to service or any in-service disease or injury. As a result, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his foot condition preexisted service and, if so, was worsened by service or if he now has separate and distinct pathology that might be related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for various conditions, including a right middle finger disability, left shoulder disability, low back disability, and right wrist disability. The Board found that there was no objective evidence of current disabilities related to these issues.

The Veteran's death was not due to any service-connected disability, and the appellant did not provide evidence of exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides. As a result, the claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is denied.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant before a decision was made.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for increased ratings on all issues except the initial rating for dermatitis of bilateral upper extremities, which resulted in a 10% disability rating.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his service-connected skin conditions have been denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.

The Board has granted service connection for rash of the groin and forehead, neurogenic dermatitis of the bilateral feet, and neurogenic dermatitis of the bilateral hands. The effective dates are to be determined based on when the Veteran's claims were received by VA.

The Board has determined that the Veteran likely had tinea versicolor during her military service and continues to have it, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's skin condition, including scarring and cystic acne residuals, is being remanded for further examination to determine if it was aggravated by service or related to service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development as the prior examination report was inadequate and did not address the impact of his service-connected disabilities in combination on his employability.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for tinea pedis was denied, but the Board finds new and material evidence has been received to reopen his claims of service connection for genital warts or residuals thereof and a low back disability.,Regarding the low back disability, the RO initially denied it in April 1995 due to lack of current disability. The Veteran's claim was reopened in April 2007.

The Board has granted service connection for right foot pes planus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's claims of pseudofolliculitis barbae, left foot pes planus, and ankle disability are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand and has chloracne which developed within one year of such exposure. Service connection for chloracne is granted.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and psoriasis, both of which are presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam. The Board found insufficient medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for increased evaluations for tinea unguium and tinea pedis prior to October 12, 2006 was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation. The claim for an increase since October 12, 2006 was also denied due to lack of objective findings supporting a higher rating.

The Board found no evidence of a right ankle disability due to service and denied the claim for PFB as there was not enough evidence to show that it is related to service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for all issues except for the initial evaluation higher than 10 percent for hypertension. As a result, these claims are dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected acne.

The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining private medical records from McCray Dermatology and other non-VA health care providers related to the Veteran's claimed psoriasis. The Veteran must submit a release with approximate dates of treatment or be advised that she can provide copies herself.