Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2015

The Veteran is unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due solely to the effects of his service-connected disabilities, specifically bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and tinea versicolor. As a result, he has been granted a TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as the maximum schedular rating for tinnitus has been assigned, and his PTSD did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

Service connection granted for bilateral hearing loss.,Service connection denied for atopic dermatitis, as the Veteran's current condition is not causally related to service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him incapable of gainful employment consistent with his educational background and occupational experience, warranting a TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and to obtain outstanding medical records. The issues are whether he should receive a compensable evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss and neurodermatitis of the hands.

Service connection is denied for diabetes mellitus, type II, a prostate disorder, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and left knee degenerative joint disease as the evidence does not support these claims. Service connection was previously denied for tinea pedis in 1973, and new and material evidence has not been received to reopen this claim.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of tinea versicolor or a kidney disorder, and therefore the Veteran's claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's seborrheic dermatitis has been rated at 10 percent since November 27, 2008. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as the condition affects greater than five percent but less than 20 percent of exposed areas and no systemic therapy was indicated.,The Veteran's hiatal hernia with esophageal reflux and epigastric pain has been rated at 30 percent since November 27, 2008. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as the condition manifests persistently recurrent epigastric distress with dysphagia, heartburn, arm pain, nausea, vomiting and digestive pain.,The Veteran's bronchitis is considered part of his already service-connected COPD and thus cannot be rated separately. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as the condition does not meet the criteria for a separate disability.,There is no evidence of chronic pneumonia at any point during the pendency of this appeal. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as there is no indication of such an issue.,Hyperlipidemia was not considered a service-connected disability and thus cannot be rated. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as hyperlipidemia is merely a laboratory finding.,The Veteran's hypertension has been rated at 10 percent since November 27, 2008. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as there is no evidence of such an issue attributable to service or service-connected disease.,The Veteran does not have a gastrointestinal disability other than hiatal hernia with esophageal reflux and epigastric pain attributable to service. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as the condition has been rated at 30 percent since November 27, 2008.,Allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis was not considered a service-connected disability and thus cannot be rated. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as there is no evidence of such an issue attributable to service or service-connected disease.,The May 1976 decision denying entitlement to service connection for plantar warts did not contain an outcome determinative error in applying the law extant at that time to the facts that were before the adjudicator. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as there was no evidence of such an issue attributable to service or service-connected disease.,The May 1976 decision denying entitlement to service connection for varicose veins did not contain an outcome determinative error in applying the law extant at that time to the facts that were before the adjudicator. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as there was no evidence of such an issue attributable to service or service-connected disease.,The May 1976 decision denying a rating in excess of 10 percent for asthma did not contain an outcome determinative error in applying the law extant at that time to the facts that were before the adjudicator. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as there was no evidence of such an issue attributable to service or service-connected disease.

The Veteran's eczema of the hands was found to have had its onset in service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and providing a supplemental medical opinion. The Veteran's skin disorders are not presumed to be related to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for tinea versicolor was granted. His claims for a higher initial rating for tinea versicolor and service connection for anemia with chronic fatigue and malaise were denied, but his claim to reopen the vertigo claim was granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeals regarding his service-connected bilateral pes planus, bronchitis, pseudofolliculitis barbae, back disorder, and right knee/leg disorder. The claims for pseudofolliculitis barbae, back disorder, and right knee/leg disorder were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of increased evaluation and TDIU due to his service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae. The case will be remanded for a new VA examination, review of existing records, and readjudication.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that he meets the schedular requirement for TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the Board finds that he is entitled to a TDIU based on his combined disability rating of 80 percent.

The Veteran's tinea with onychomycosis has been evaluated at a 30 percent rating, and the Board finds that this evaluation is appropriate given the current severity of his condition.

The Board has ordered the case back to the AOJ for additional development due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's skin disabilities, including dermatitis and furuncle.

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

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of current disabilities or in-service incurrences that could be related to the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's tinea versicolor is currently rated at 60 percent, which fully addresses her current symptoms. The Board finds that the rating criteria provided by Diagnostic Code 7806 adequately describe her condition and provide for ratings based on more severe symptomatology.