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

The Veteran's eczema affects between 5 and 20 percent of his total body area, warranting a disability rating of 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted. The Veteran now has a 60 percent evaluation for psoriasis, previously diagnosed as seborrheic dermatitis, effective from the date of decision.

The Board has denied a higher evaluation for dermatitis and remanded the issue of anemia. The Veteran's service-connected conditions require further examination to determine their current severity.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for allergic rhinitis, sinus disability, left knee and ankle disabilities, foot disabilities, cold injury residuals of the feet, and eye disabilities. The cases are being returned for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand instructions and requires an advisory medical opinion regarding the likely etiology of the Veteran's facial skin disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for periodontal gum disease and hepatitis A have been denied. The Board has remanded the remaining issues due to insufficient evidence.,The Veteran was not granted service connection for his claimed psychiatric, heart, sleep apnea, neck, upper extremity radiculopathy, head injury residuals, skin disorder, ankle, or knee disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, as he has been employed full-time for over 25 years. The Board finds that his service-connected conditions alone did not render him unemployable.

The Board has remanded the claims for pseudofolliculitis barbae and gastrointestinal disability (GERD and hiatal hernia) due to potential service connection issues. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it could be significantly impacted by the outcome of the other claims.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss and tinea corporis and onychomycosis of the fingernails and toenails (status post total nail avulsion) is remanded due to incomplete information. The VA will obtain additional medical opinions regarding the severity of these conditions, including any potential systemic therapy related to topical corticosteroids and oral antifungal medications.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to failure of the RO to substantially comply with its April 2018 instructions regarding a VA examiner's opinion on whether the Veteran's skin disorder preexisted service and was aggravated by active service. The claim is now pending for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an extraschedular evaluation for psoriasis, as the current schedular criteria do not adequately describe the severity and symptoms of the Veteran's disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's applications to reopen his claims for service connection for a respiratory disability and skin disability, finding that new and material evidence was not submitted.

Service connection for tinea versicolor and urticaria has been granted.,The claim to reopen service connection for erectile dysfunction is remanded.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinea pedis should be remanded due to new evidence being added to the record and a request from the Veteran to have his case reviewed by the AOJ.

The Veteran's service-connected folliculitis of the groin is granted a 10% rating from April 5, 2019. The issue of entitlement to TDIU was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment during the period from June 1, 2010 to December 31, 2012. The Board denied entitlement to TDIU for this period.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and an inadequate VA examination. The Veteran's claim for service connection will be reviewed again with new evidence.

Service connection is granted for a recurrent left inguinal hernia, tinea versicolor, atrophy of the left testicle, and PTSD with major depressive disorder.,The Veteran's service records confirm his in-service exposure to hostile military activity, which supports his reported stressors.

The Board has remanded the claim for a retrospective examination to assess the impact of service-connected disabilities on the Veteran's work capacity during the period from April 21, 2014 to February 1, 2016. The effective date is not addressed as it pertains to the retroactive application of a 100% schedular rating.

The Veteran's service connection claims for scar formation on the breasts, buttocks and lower back, psoriasis, and bilateral ankle strain with calcaneal spur are all remanded. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating for her psoriasis as of December 20, 2019.