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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, lumbar spine disability, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), residuals of frostbite of the hands and feet, and acquired psychiatric disorder, to include major depressive disorder (MDD). The evidence received since the February 2011 rating decision is not material.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, acne, and migraine/headache disorder are remanded due to inadequate examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic skin disability, including as secondary to herbicide exposure, finding no evidence of such condition during service and insufficient causal link between current symptoms and military service.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations are inadequate for purposes of adjudicating the Veteran's claims on appeal and remands them for further development. The issues include service connection for spinal nerve degeneration with pain and numbness, back condition and degenerative arthritis of the spine; dermatitis or eczema and onychomycosis of the toenails; and peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and needs further evaluation by a dermatologist.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, dermatitis on the right and left legs, and scar formation of the bilateral lower extremities. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II was granted service connection.,Service connection was also granted for prostate cancer, diabetic retinopathy secondary to diabetes mellitus type II, and erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral foot arthritis has been dismissed. The Board also remanded the cases of a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and a compensable disability rating for bilateral tinea pedis.

The Veteran's tinea versicolor, tinea pedis, and dystrophic nails are rated together as a single condition due to the overlapping affected areas. A 30% rating is granted for dermatophytosis with dystrophic nails prior to September 28, 2007.

The Veteran's appeal has been remanded for additional examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD, lumbar spine disorder, bronchitis, left fifth finger fracture, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and bilateral shin splints.

The Board has denied service connection for eczema, right shoulder disorder, right leg disorder, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, and left knee disorder as there is no evidence of current diagnoses with respect to any of the claimed disorders.

The Board denied service connection for tinea pedis, bilateral feet as it was not shown to be causally or etiologically related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for PFB, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher disability ratings for chondromalacia of her left and right knees, as well as seborrheic dermatitis with eczema. The issues are being remanded for additional VA medical examinations and opinions to determine current functional impairment and whether there is service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee strain, fatigue, and eczema as they are not related to his active service.

The Veteran's eczema has worsened, requiring constant or near constant use of systemic therapy such as corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs for the past year. The Board granted a rating of 60% for her service-connected eczema.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including atopic dermatitis, right knee disability, sinusitis, hernia repair scars, and abdominal adhesions, have rendered him unemployable. However, the evidence is contradictory regarding his employability due to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's skin disorders, including Ichthyosis vulgaris and psoriasis. The examiner is requested to address whether these conditions are related to service, particularly exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's tinea versicolor claim is remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his condition. His service connection claims for low back disability and neurological disabilities of the lower extremities are also remanded due to incomplete STRs.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia and remanded the issue of an earlier effective date for a tinea versicolor evaluation.