Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to new evidence submitted after a previous denial.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and folliculitis, finding that there is no current evidence of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chloracne has been reopened and granted. The rating for bilateral hearing loss disability remains denied, as does the claim for service connection for hypertension secondary to PTSD and for obstructive sleep apnea secondary to PTSD.

The Board denied a higher rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae, finding that the condition does not meet criteria for a higher rating under VA's skin disability rating criteria.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he meets the schedular criteria but is not precluded from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran was granted service connection for various conditions, including sleep apnea, herpes simplex, insomnia and nightmare disorder, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, etc., effective August 1, 2017.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The issue of an increased rating for eczema with prurigo nodularis is remanded.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was granted an effective date of February 5, 2017.,The Veteran's pseudo-folliculitis barbae with history of acne keloidalis nuchae (PFB) was granted an effective date of November 29, 2018.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following gainful employment consistent with his educational and occupational experience. The Board denied the claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to May 2, 2014.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied in July 2005, but reopened due to new evidence presented. The claims of service connection for a back disorder and skin disorder were also reopened. A rating higher than 30 percent for PTSD prior to February 20, 2019 is denied, while a 50 percent rating from that date onward is granted. The Veteran's PFB remains rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran is granted entitlement to a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) from May 10, 2004. The criteria for TDIU prior to this date have not been met.

The Veteran's tinnitus was not shown to have started during service and is not otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,Systemic lupus and dermatitis of the face, neck, ears, fingers, and hands were not shown as chronic in service and are not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's tinnitus was diagnosed years after separation from service and is not considered service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error by the AOJ, as there was insufficient evidence of record to adjudicate his claim for a higher disability rating for his skin disabilities. The RO combined the evaluation of PFB and dermatophytosis but did not provide an adequate contemporaneous medical examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, skin disability (tinea unguium), and low back disability have all been denied as there is no direct evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae with dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, and migraine headaches were all remanded for further review.,Service connection was not established for any of the conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) and muscle pain residual to a back injury are being remanded due to the failure of VA to schedule new examinations as part of the August 2018 Board remand.

The Veteran's ratings for hypertensive heart disease and tinea pedis were restored to their previous levels of 30 percent, effective December 1, 2016.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The atopic dermatitis claim was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, while the PTSD claim was denied due to symptoms not meeting the criteria for a 70% or higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy were dismissed. The claim for service connection was granted with an effective date prior to April 15, 2011.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's skin conditions, specifically vitiligo and dermatitis. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are related to service or chemical exposure during service.