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

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for initial disability ratings for contact dermatitis and latex allergy, as well as his diabetes mellitus claim. The remand requires additional medical opinions to address whether oral medications are like corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs, and whether erectile dysfunction and kidney neoplasm were aggravated by diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and evaluation due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for diabetes mellitus, asthma, and Pityrosporum folliculitis with actinic keratosis due to potential service connection based on exposure to burn pits while serving in Iraq.

The Board has remanded the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinea pedis and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's full body rash is being evaluated, and additional evidence is needed to assess its severity during flare-ups.

The Veteran's depression is granted as service connected, and a 60 percent rating for his skin condition is granted effective August 30, 2010. The issues of TDIU and SMC based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tinea pedis, body rash (eczema and/or tinea versicolor), and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The claims are being remanded because additional development of medical evidence is necessary.

The Board has remanded the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for dermatitis, to reopen service connection for sinusitis and PTSD (including as due to MST), due to new evidence received after the May 2019 statement of the case.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (Acne vulgaris, Major depressive disorder) do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD.,The Veteran's adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood is already service-connected, so no new rating is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the claim for an evaluation in excess of this rating has been denied. The Veteran was granted TDIU and SMC based on housebound status from March 17, 2015.

The Veteran's acne has been rated at a maximum of 60 percent for the entire appeal period, with the rating effective as of January 13, 2020.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and diabetes mellitus type II, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's prostate cancer is not service connected due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between his current condition and exposure to ionizing radiation during service. The skin disorder other than the face and scalp remains under review as the VA medical opinion was not obtained.

The Veteran's second period of service from May 1986 to October 1992 was other than honorable (OTH), and his character of discharge is a bar to VA benefits.,Service connection for a pulmonary disability, including asthma and bronchitis, hepatitis C, tinea pedis, right ankle disorder, low back disorder, right shoulder disorder, and right knee disorder are all denied.

The Board has granted a separate extraschedular rating of 100 percent for psoriasis, effective from the date of death (March 3, 2005), and this rating is in addition to any schedular ratings assigned.

The Veteran's initial 10 percent rating for service-connected pseudo folliculitis barbae (PFB) is granted, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for PFB is denied. Service connection for a heart condition is also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to service. The Veteran's testimony and medical opinions support this determination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to her service-connected disabilities, finding that she is not so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and assistance from another person.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for sexual dysfunction (including as secondary to PTSD) and tinea corpora due to conflicting opinions from VA clinicians. The Veteran's sexual dysfunction claim is related to his service-connected PTSD, while the tinea corpora claim requires further clarification regarding its etiology.

The Board has determined that the original grants of service connection for myofascial pain syndrome, par cervical region; major depression with mood congruent psychotic features; nummular eczema; headaches; and lumbar strain were based on fraud. As a result, these claims have been severed.