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

The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae is granted a 10% evaluation from November 26, 2012.,Service connection for scars on the left and right medial thighs is granted.,Service connection for hepatitis C is reopened and granted.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and depressive disorder) is reopened and granted.

The Board denied service connection for acne due to burn pit exposure, finding no direct evidence linking the condition to service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed. The appeal for an initial compensable evaluation for headaches prior to July 17, 2017, is remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded several issues, including reopening a previously denied claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disability and assigning initial ratings for other disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% and his pseudofolliculitis barbae at 10%. The hearing loss condition remains at 0%. The Board has remanded the case for further evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for TBI and right knee disorder, but granted the reopening of claims for these conditions. Service connection was not established for DM, hypertension, chloracne, migraine headaches, peripheral neuropathy, or plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records.

The Board denied service connection for acne due to burn pit exposure, finding no direct evidence linking the condition to service.

The Board has ordered further development for the issues of entitlement to service connection for a foot disability and medial epicondylitis, right elbow. The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to incomplete information in previous examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his service connection claims, including verification of stressors and a psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's hydrophilic cream for his service-connected dermatitis does not cause irreparable damage to his outer garments, so he is denied an annual clothing allowance for the 2015 calendar year.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals on all issues related to service connection and disability ratings, including those for upper back disability, defective vision, PTSD, hearing loss, breathing problems, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, loss of teeth, and tinea pedis.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for service connection of Acne and a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including obstructive sleep apnea, degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine, and right lower extremity radiculopathy, preclude all substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him. The Board grants entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's dermatitis was rated as noncompensable from February 27, 2012 to October 26, 2016 and a rating in excess of 30 percent since then. The Board found that the evidence did not meet criteria for increased ratings.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 70 percent, but he does not have at least one disability rated at 40 percent or more. The Board has referred his TDIU claim to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration due to his service-connected knee disabilities, tinnitus, and depression.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and allergic dermatitis. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a right ankle disability, bilateral foot disability (pes planus), and bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including atrophy of left thigh muscles, cervical spine disorder, right and left knee patellar strains, right ankle disorder, left foot disorder, right great toe hallux valgus and hallux rigidus, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), and diabetes mellitus. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a direct relationship between these conditions and service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and skin disability.

The Veteran's service connection claim for dermatitis is granted, and his increased rating claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board found that the evidence was at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran has had continuous dermatitis symptoms since active military service. For the hearing loss claim, the VA audiologist determined that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment and assigned a noncompensable rating based on the results from his April 2017 audiological evaluation.