Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2017

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and entitlement to SMC based on need for aid and attendance/housebound status. The Veteran was found not to have a disability that required regular aid and assistance or to be permanently housebound by reason of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as his non-service connected conditions and substance abuse impact his ability to work. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for chronic nosebleeds, sinus disorder, and gastrointestinal disorder, as well as the right shoulder arthritis.

The Veteran is entitled to an effective date of May 15, 2001 for the grant of a total disability rating due to individual employability resulting from service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) increased in severity to a level warranting a 30 percent disability rating as of May 31, 2007. The effective date for this increase is set at that time.

The Veteran's PTSD renders him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment as of March 11, 2008. His service-connected disabilities meet the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected chloracne, presumed due to exposure to burn pits during active duty in Korea, is rated at 100 percent effective July 14, 2017.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an effective date prior to June 9, 2009, for the service-connected disabilities listed on the title page. The Board has dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's tinea versicolor was rated at 30 percent prior to May 1, 2014. The reduction from 30 percent to noncompensable effective May 1, 2014 is upheld as the condition showed sustained improvement with no significant symptoms.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 11, 2008 for TDIU on an extraschedular basis due to insufficient evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable solely at that time.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent, as he requires continuous medication for control of his blood pressure.,The Veteran does not have a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis due to lack of polyps or significant nasal obstruction.,For the period prior to June 23, 2016, the Veteran's dermatitis is rated at 10 percent. Since then, it has been rated as 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate VA examinations and missing records. The Veteran is presumed exposed to herbicide agents during service, including in Vietnam.

The Veteran's skin disorder affecting the lower extremities, torso and back is found to be at least as likely as not related to service exposure to Agent Orange. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran is granted service connection for residuals of a shrapnel wound in the back and recurrent urinary tract infection. Service connection is denied for eczema (claimed as jungle rot).,Service connection has been established for the Veteran's shrapnel wound and recurring UTI, but not for his claimed skin disability.

The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for the Veteran's hepatitis C and a skin rash diagnosed as dermatitis and eczema.,Regarding herpes zoster or herpes simplex, there is insufficient evidence to establish a current disability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinea pedis and granted it. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability to include PTSD is also found to be related to his service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his claims of service connection for hypertension, including consideration of secondary service connection and exposure to herbicides. The evaluation and effective date issues are also pending.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been caused by herbicide exposure. His skin disorder, glaucoma, lung disorder (COPD and interstitial lung disease), and sinusitis are not among the listed diseases eligible for presumptive service connection due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service connection claims for TBI, low back disability, sleep apnea, skin disability (folliculitis), and right ankle/foot disability have been granted. The Board found that the evidence supported these determinations based on sound medical opinions.