Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred from October 6 to October 9, 2009 at St. Edward Mercy Medical Center were for emergency treatment due to a significant injury and could not be safely transferred to a VA facility until his condition stabilized on October 9, 2009.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including psoriasis, depression, psoriatic arthritis, and scalp and face psoriasis, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and higher ratings were denied. The earlier effective date claims for peripheral neuropathy (PN) of the right lower extremity, left lower extremity, and SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ were also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinea pedis has been reopened, and his PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent. The Veteran contends that a higher initial rating is warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae does not meet the criteria for a higher rating, and his eye disability is not service-connected.,There is no evidence of an acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claim for service connection for irritant contact dermatitis, mild, post cubital fossa right knee, claimed as due to herbicide exposure.

The Board denied reopening the claim of service connection for kidney and adrenal gland disability but granted reopening of the claims for increased ratings for tinea pedis, tinea crura, and onychomycosis. The Veteran's tinea pedis was rated as 10 percent prior to January 25, 2009, and 10 percent after March 1, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for contact dermatitis has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board found no evidence to support service connection for seborrheic dermatitis or heart disease, as the conditions are not shown to have had their onset during service and there is insufficient medical evidence linking them to service. The Veteran's assertions were considered but deemed unsupported by credible evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than January 8, 2009 for the grant of service connection for mycosis fungoides was granted. The claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for parapsoriasis was denied.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain updated VA medical records and to schedule the Veteran for a special Aid and Attendance examination. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his hypertensive cardiovascular disease, may have worsened since his last examination.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current skin disability, characterized as atopic dermatitis, is related to service. As such, after affording the Veteran the benefit of the doubt and considering the evidence in the light most favorable to the Veteran, service connection for a skin disability, characterized as atopic dermatitis, is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine if his service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable during the specified period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work experience.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for respiratory and foot disorders are being remanded to obtain additional medical records, personnel records from the Alabama Army National Guard (Guard), and VA clinical documentation. The Veteran will be scheduled for a VA examination to determine if any identified conditions originated during active service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for a skin condition, claimed as tinea versicolor. The evidence submitted since the last final denial does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected skin disabilities require ongoing use of topical medications that cause irreparable damage to her outer garments, warranting an annual clothing allowance.

The Veteran's eczematous dermatitis was rated at 10 percent from September 16, 2005 to April 8, 2012. After that date, the rating is noncompensable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of acne vulgaris and finds no evidence to support an aggravation claim. Therefore, service connection for acne vulgaris is denied.