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

The Board has granted service connection for lung nodules as residuals of pneumonia in service. The Veteran's claims regarding the scars and seborrheic dermatitis with actinic keratosis remain pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including prostate disability, chronic fatigue or exhaustion with shortness of breath, neuropathy in the lower extremities, numbness of the arms and hands, headaches, acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as mood disorder secondary to general medical condition), left hand arthritis, left knee arthritis, and skin disability (chloracne).

Your service connection claims for scars and eczema have been granted, but the increased evaluation claim has not been certified for appeal. The case is dismissed as you do not appear to be seeking further review.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disability and a skin disorder (claimed as dermatitis and chloracne) due to the lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's tinea pedis of the feet and onychomycosis of the toenails have been rated as 60 percent for a period, effective from September 2011. A separate compensable rating is granted for his tinea manuum (diagnosed as dermatitis) of the left hand.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations to evaluate the current severity of his service-connected tinea pedis and duodenal deformity. The TDIU claim is also intertwined with these issues.

The Veteran's sinusitis is currently rated at 30 percent prior to January 19, 2017 and denied for a higher rating thereafter.,Service connection has been granted for psoriasis.

The Veteran's skin conditions, including epidermal inclusion cyst and xerosis, resolved during service. His current skin conditions, such as seborrheic keratosis, actinic keratosis, and basal cell carcinoma, are not etiologically related to his military service.

The Veteran's skin disability, tinea pedis with onychomycosis of both feet and dermatophytosis (claimed as tinea cruris of the groin), was rated at 10 percent since May 13, 2014.

The Board has found that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a skin disability (tinea versicolor) are all service-connected. The decision also notes that the Veteran's in-service exposure to combat noise trauma likely contributed to his current conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of June 28, 2011 for a 60% disability rating for ulcerative colitis is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's symptoms more nearly approximate the criteria consistent with a 60% disability rating from the date of original diagnosis.

The Veteran's son, C.N.F., was found to be permanently incapable of self-support due to physical conditions prior to reaching the age of 18. The Board granted the claim based on this finding.

The Board has determined that an effective date earlier than November 13, 2007 for the grant of service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae is not warranted. The Veteran's claim was received in November 2007 and he did not file a prior claim before this time.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability is related to his active service and grants this claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including verification of herbicide exposure and a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a new opinion on service connection for eczema.

The Veteran's service-connected acne vulgaris has been asymptomatic throughout the appeal period, with only a single one centimeter lesion on his buttock. The condition does not affect more than 20% of the total body surface or exposed areas and does not require any treatment (including systemic therapy or immunosuppressive drugs). As such, a rating in excess of 10 percent is denied.

The Veteran's skin condition and GERD have been evaluated, with the skin condition denied service connection and the GERD granted a 60% evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of private medical expenses incurred on October 6, 2015 was denied as the condition did not qualify as a medical emergency and therefore does not meet the criteria for reimbursement under VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a supplemental medical opinion from a dermatologist or infectious disease specialist regarding the etiology of the Veteran's dermatological condition(s) present during the appeal period. The Veteran is also to be provided with an opportunity to respond after any additional evidence is considered.