Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed chronic skin disorder, weight loss/weight fluctuations, sore throat disability, and right-sided weakness as they were not found to be due to undiagnosed illness or other qualifying chronic disabilities. The Veteran's current diagnosed condition of folliculitis was attributed to a known clinical diagnosis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and treatment records.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to March 21, 2014 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating before May 16, 2014.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for PFB was also denied. The VA examiner noted no scarring or disfigurement and opined that the condition was stable and asymptomatic.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including generalized anxiety disorder, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the feet, and psoriasis, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not entitled to service connection for his claimed eye problems, hyperlipidemia, erectile dysfunction, and skin disease as they are not related to his period of active service or a previously service-connected disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia and heart disability, as there is no evidence of these conditions during the pendency of his claim. The Board has also found that new examinations are necessary to assess the current severity of his lumbar spine and headache disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis is being referred to the Director of Compensation Service due to his service-connected schizoaffective disorder with insomnia and dermatological conditions, which prevented him from securing gainful employment prior to August 25, 2005.

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected condition, and the appellant is not entitled to accrued benefits as there were no pending claims at the time of his death.

The Veteran's service-connected gastric ulcer is rated at 20 percent, the highest available rating under the applicable diagnostic code. The Veteran's folliculitis does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for further examination. The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral calluses of the metatarsal heads remains pending, as does his rating claim for tinea pedis.

The Veteran's cardiovascular signs and symptoms, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), dermatitis, and vertigo have not been diagnosed. The Veteran's lumbar radiculopathy is service-connected.,PTSD remains service-connected but the Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to warrant a higher rating.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for cutanea tarda, bilateral hearing loss disability, chloracne, heart murmur, hypertension, connective tissue disorder, vision disability in right eye, peripheral neuropathy, and Parkinson's disease. The claim for service connection for lupus erythematosus is also reopened.

The Board has remanded the appeal due to incomplete information regarding the Veteran's hearing loss evaluations and for issuance of a Statement of the Case on the issues of service connection for hepatitis B, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, pseudo folliculitis barbae, and vertigo.

The Board has found that the Veteran's current diagnoses of cellulitis and psoriasis are not related to his service, as there is no nexus between these conditions and any in-service skin issues. The Board determined that the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a bilateral foot disability. The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient in-service treatment records and an incomplete medical opinion regarding the relationship between his current diagnosis of tinea pedis and his in-service complaints.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the Veteran's service connection claims, including obtaining medical opinions and records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cysts and hearing loss of the left ear have been denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of cysts, and the Veteran's hearing acuity in his left ear was shown to be productive of Level I hearing impairment throughout the period on appeal.

The Veteran's nodulocystic acne was rated at 30 percent effective June 10, 2011, based on the condition affecting less than 40 percent of his face and neck.

The Veteran's recurrent tinea pedis, a skin disorder of the feet, was first manifested during service and has continued since then. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise on whether the current condition is related to service, thus granting service connection.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, respiratory disability (chronic bronchitis), peripheral neuropathy of the right shoulder, skin disability (eczema), fatty tumors, to include lipomas or soft tissue tumors, and vision or eye disability are all denied. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction claim is not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.