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

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as she and her representative have withdrawn all issues in appeal status.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his service-connected dermatitis of the bilateral hands and entitlement to TDIU due to lack of proper notification regarding scheduled VA examinations, unclear employment status, and failure to comply with previous remand instructions.

The Veteran's appeals for effective dates prior to November 20, 2014 for the grant of service connection for right leg shin splints, left leg shin splints, allergic rhinitis, and dermatitis have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to July 13, 2015 for the grant of service connection for PTSD has been denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's allergic contact dermatitis and its relationship to service, including herbicide exposure.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's skin disability, including chloracne, is not service-connected due to inadequate medical opinion. The case is being remanded for further development and an addendum VA opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for low back disorder, right knee disorder, psoriasis, degenerative disc disease and DJD of the lumbar spine, right knee patellofemoral syndrome with patellar tendonitis, and left ear hearing loss due to service aggravation. Right ear hearing loss was denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened for low back disorder and right knee disorder.

The Veteran's diabetic nephropathy with hypertension is granted a 60% disability rating effective August 7, 2019. The other conditions are not rated higher.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for psoriasis vulgaris and psoriatic arthropathy of the knees, hands and feet. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's skin condition, left knee strain, and lumbar strain have been rated appropriately throughout the appellate period. The Veteran's skin condition is at its maximum schedular rating of 60 percent. His left knee strain has a uniform 10 percent rating for painful motion. His lumbar strain does not meet criteria for any higher ratings.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on several conditions have been withdrawn. The claims for right ankle disability, chronic kidney disability, and PTSD rating are being remanded due to the need for additional examination or evidence. The claim for chronic kidney disease has been reopened based on new evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left ulnar neuropathy and PFB were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings based on the severity of his conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection of left knee disability, left ankle disability, and psoriasis. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for chloracne, finding that there is no current diagnosis of chloracne and noting that any history of chloracne was based on self-report without positive clinical findings. The Board gave more probative weight to the competent medical evidence.

The Veteran was previously denied TDIU prior to January 25, 2018. Since then, his PTSD symptoms worsened significantly, making it impossible for him to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for pseudofolliculitis barbae and TBI, as well as his claim for a seizure disorder secondary to TBI. The claims are being returned for additional development including obtaining medical records, updating examination reports, and considering new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for eczema of the hands is granted. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board cannot adjudicate the merits of the case as he died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's seborrheic dermatitis claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding the use of topical corticosteroids and whether it constitutes systemic therapy.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected left foot onychomycosis was denied as the condition did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating under Diagnostic Code 7806.

The Board has remanded the claims for hepatitis B, acne, and HIV due to failure of the Veteran to report for scheduled VA examinations. Additional development is needed including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling new examinations.