Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's skin disability is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.,The Veteran's left and right ankle disabilities are remanded as the VA examinations/opinions were found to be inadequate.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disability, including sleep apnea and related to PTSD, was denied.,Service connection was granted for the skin disability of tinea versicolor. The condition was presumed to have been aggravated by service.,The Veteran's hypertension was not found to be related to service or exposure to herbicide agents.,Bilateral hearing loss was not established as a service-connected disability.,No service connection was granted for bilateral shoulder disability, back disability, or neck disability.,Service connection was denied for the Veteran's back and neck disabilities.,The decision also referred the issue of service connection for cardiovascular disease secondary to PTSD to the Regional Office (RO) for further adjudication.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the possibility of relevant, outstanding VA treatment records prior to September 1999. The Veteran's seborrheic dermatitis is being reviewed again.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities, along with pseudofolliculitis barbae, do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine disability, dermatitis, and right knee disability due to additional evidence received since the July 2019 Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The rating for scarring associated with dermatitis and folliculitis was denied, as the condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7800. The rating for painful and unstable scars was also denied, as there were no more than two unstable or painful scars. The rating for dermatitis and folliculitis was denied, as it did not cover at least 20% of the entire body or exposed areas. A compensable rating for alopecia was denied, as the condition did not meet the criteria under Diagnostic Code 7831. The Veteran's depressive disorder received a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and a skin disorder, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service or exposure to trichloroethylene.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, erectile dysfunction, chloracne, skin cancer, and gastroesophageal reflux disease as these conditions have already been granted in a February 2021 rating decision.

The Veteran's tinea versicolor is rated at a maximum of 60 percent, covering more than 40% of his body surface area. The Board found that the evidence was in equipoise and granted the claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for vertigo, COPD, and a skin disorder other than pseudofolliculitis barbae due to exposure at Camp Lejeune. A VA examination is required for each claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities made him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from September 18, 2014. The Board granted an earlier effective date of September 18, 2014 for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities based upon extraschedular consideration.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and incomplete record, including a lack of evidence regarding the onset of herpes during service. The Veteran's skin conditions are being examined again for proper determination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 3, 2014. The Board denied entitlement to TDIU prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a skin examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's eczema during active stages.

The Board has ordered further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's skin disorders, specifically dyshidrotic eczema and tinea manuum, to determine if they are related to service exposure to yellowcake uranium. The case is being returned for these actions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current skin disorder, including dermatophytosis, contact dermatitis, and pruritis, began during or was caused by her active duty service. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's neurodermatitis has not been rated higher than noncompensable due to the lack of systemic therapy or characteristic lesions involving more than 20 percent of total body area or exposed areas.,The Board is remanding the claims for service connection for dizziness and balance problems, headaches, and OSA as secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to June 12, 2014 was denied as he did not meet the criteria of being precluded from obtaining and maintaining any form of gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for chloracne, multiple myeloma, soft-tissue sarcoma, and Parkinson's disease due to a lack of diagnosed conditions during the appeal period.

The Board denied service connection for acne with associated scars as the Veteran's pre-existing condition did not permanently worsen during her military service.