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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD with major depressive disorder, prostate cancer residuals, and other conditions, have rendered him unemployable. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the severity of his disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's dermatitis is likely due to his service in Vietnam, where he was exposed to a jungle environment. Therefore, service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's tinea versicolor is currently rated at 30 percent for the period prior to May 3, 2013 and remains at 30 percent thereafter. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as his symptoms do not meet or approximate criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Veteran's current dental disorders are not a result of trauma in service, and therefore, he is not entitled to service connection for these conditions for compensation purposes.

The Veteran's contact dermatitis affects less than 5 percent of her entire body and exposed areas, requiring only topical therapy. She is not entitled to a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms most closely approximate those for a 50 percent rating, and the Board has granted an increased rating of 50 percent for PTSD.

The Board granted service connection for acne, finding that the condition had its clinical onset during the Veteran's active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for hearing loss and granted it. The Veteran also has been granted service connection for eczema and seborrhea, which are considered to be related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for Parkinson's disease and a low back disorder, but the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and a skin disorder remain pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's diagnosed xerotic dermatitis was not present in service, is not etiologically related to any service-connected disability, and may not be presumed to be related to service.

The Board found that the current skin disease, seborrheic or psoriasiform dermatitis, was not related to service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosed psychiatric disorder, cholesteatoma left mastoid, skin condition (chloracne), headaches, heart condition, sinus condition, right hand condition, or left foot condition that manifested during or was caused by his military service. The claim for the residuals of a right foot fracture has also been denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine if his skin condition, including dermatitis, is related to his military service and specifically Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tumors of the back and neck, prostate cancer, and chloracne. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and his military service.,There is no credible evidence that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his active duty in Korea.

The Veteran's tinea cruris, which affected less than 5% of his entire body and exposed areas but required constant treatment with topical corticosteroids, is now rated at 20 percent effective September 24, 2010.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's chloracne and lichen simplex chronicus, finding that it is related to his exposure to herbicides during service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining ongoing treatment records and providing the Veteran with another VA skin examination. A clarifying medical opinion is also needed to have sufficient medical evidence to decide his claim.

The Veteran's disability manifested by psoriasis is not due to disease or injury that was incurred in or aggravated by active service; nor is it proximately due to or the result of service-connected lichens planus.