Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bladder cancer, chloracne, Bowen's disease on right side of groin, and skin cancer due to herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran is also being asked to provide additional information regarding his claim for increased special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ.

The Board has determined that additional development is required for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including back disability, right and left knee disabilities, respiratory disability, DM, skin disability, and dental disability. The appeals are being remanded to allow for further examination and consideration.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a left foot condition is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his left shoulder strain with acromioclavicular joint separation is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his second-degree atrioventricular block, Mobitz type 2 (heart condition) prior to November 16, 2017, is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 60 percent for his second-degree atrioventricular block, Mobitz type 2 (heart condition) since November 16, 2017, is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his chest surgical scar, status post pacemaker insertion, is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for pseudofolliculitis barbae is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder, finding no link between his current conditions and service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has denied service connection for psoriasis and remanded the issue of service connection for skin cancer. The Veteran's psoriasis disability is not considered to have originated in service, was not manifest within one year of separation from active duty, and there is no evidence linking it to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal involves staged ratings for tinea versicolor. The case is being remanded to determine if the use of fluocinolone acetonide, a topical corticosteroid, can be considered systemic therapy and its impact on his skin condition.

The Board denied service connection for Erectile Dysfunction, an acquired psychiatric disorder, testicular cancer, acne, and a vasomotor disturbance (Raynaud’s syndrome) as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions in the record.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied, while some service connection claims were granted or reopened. The appeal is remanded for further action on several issues.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) in this decision. For tinnitus, the Veteran's intermittent ringing in his ears since service is considered to have started during service. For PFB, the evidence shows that it was incurred during service and continues after discharge.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for psoriasis and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder. The decision finds that his preexisting conditions were aggravated by active duty service.

The Veteran's PFB has been granted a 10 percent rating.,The Veteran's thoracolumbar degenerative joint and disc disease has been granted a 20 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and initial disability ratings due to new evidence received by VA.

The Veteran's service-connected right second toe hammertoe and DJD residuals are granted at a 10 percent rating, subject to regulations governing payment of monetary awards.,PTSD service connection is remanded due to lack of corroborating evidence for the claimed stressors.

The Board denied service connection for diverticulitis but remanded the skin cancer claim due to inadequate examination. The Veteran's skin condition is related to herbicide exposure, and a new VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, chloracne, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have all been denied. The Board has found no current diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to military service.,Service connection is being remanded for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to potential noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's psoriasis disability is now rated at 30 percent for the entire initial rating period on appeal, with a remand requested to reassess the severity of his condition.

This decision denies the Veteran's claims for service connection for basal cell carcinoma, psychiatric disability including PTSD, and hypertension. The claim for tinnitus is also remanded as it was not addressed in the previous rating decisions.,The initial compensable rating for tinea unguium has been included in the appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for eczema, finding that it was neither caused nor aggravated by his service-connected chronic adjustment disorder and is otherwise unrelated to service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's skin conditions during a flare-up. The Veteran is asked to provide authorization for VA to obtain private treatment records and submit lay evidence, including photographs and buddy statements.

The Veteran's lumbar muscle strain with degenerative disc disease, left ankle sprain with hair line fracture, and pseudofolliculitis barbae have all been granted service connection.,Service connection for anxiety depression with psychotic features to include alcohol and drug abuse is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.