Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on housebound status as he is not permanently confined to his dwelling and immediate premises due to service-connected disabilities.

Service connection for tinea versicolor is granted. Service connection for low back disability is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

For the period on review, the Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae was denied a compensable rating.,For the period on review, the Veteran's major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder were granted a 50% disability rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and pseudofolliculitis barbae, finding that there was no evidence of chronicity or continuity of symptomatology since service. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development on several issues, including service connection claims and increased rating claims. The initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and left knee disability are denied.

The Veteran's psoriasis rating was restored to 30 percent, and a new 60 percent rating for the condition is granted. The issue of total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral ankle and leg blister disorder, and scrotal blister disorder with tinea pedis have been granted increased disability ratings. The psychiatric disorder is rated at 70 percent since May 11, 2020; the ankle and leg blister disorder is rated at 10 percent prior to April 8, 2021, and 10 percent thereafter; and the scrotal blister disorder with tinea pedis are both rated at 10 percent.

The Board has waived the 60-day timeliness requirement for filing a substantive appeal and accepted the March 2020 VA Form 9 as timely. The issues of entitlement to an increased rating, service connection, and TDIU are all granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating on the basis of individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his combined schedular rating was 100 percent and he had not demonstrated that any single service-connected disability rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for a bilateral eye disability is denied as there is no persuasive evidence of a current diagnosis or causal relationship to service.,Claims for earlier effective dates for hemorrhoids, unspecified respiratory condition, and dyshidrotic eczema are denied because the earliest date of claim is June 7, 2019.

The Veteran's GERD is granted an initial evaluation of 30 percent, but no higher. The Veteran's eczema of the face and scalp is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for ulnar neuropathy at the elbow, right forearm numbness and tingling, right hand joint pain and numbness, pes planus, bilateral, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), left shoulder pain, and right shoulder pain are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.,The Veteran's ulnar neuropathy at the elbow, right forearm numbness and tingling, right hand joint pain and numbness, pes planus, bilateral, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), left shoulder pain, and right shoulder pain are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae with facial scar has been rated at 10 percent since July 9, 2020. The Board finds that the VA did not obtain relevant treatment records from Drs. Buckley and Malik prior to issuing the March 2022 rating decision, which was a pre-decisional duty to assist error. Therefore, the case is being remanded for obtaining these records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is also being remanded.,Service connection for tinnitus has been denied as there is no probative evidence that the Veteran had continuous symptoms since active duty or within one year post-service, and his current condition is not linked to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of service connection and increased rating, leaving no grounds for further review.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for his TDIU award, which was granted on May 27, 2014. The Board is remanding the case to determine if he should have been awarded a TDIU prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the claims for emphysema and PFB due to insufficient etiology opinions in the original decision. The Veteran's service connection claims are being returned for further review.

The Board has granted a partial benefit by granting an initial rating of at least 10 percent for PFB, but the case is remanded to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error and address the severity of the Veteran's PFB.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lung and skin disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he does not meet the criteria for this benefit.