Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, left hand acne, rhinitis, headaches, tinnitus, a low back disability, a right shoulder disability, and a left finger disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of all claims on December 16, 2024.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for hypertension and remanded the claim for service connection for eczema.

The Board granted an initial 40 percent rating for narcolepsy prior to August 21, 2020, but denied a higher rating from that date. The appeal of the claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for residual left heel laceration and the claim for service connection for eczema were withdrawn.

The Board granted service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae, finding a medical nexus between the Veteran's in-service shaving profile and his current PFB diagnosis.

The Board denied a rating greater than 70 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and remanded the claim for service connection for psoriasis.

The Board is remanding the case to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the recoupment of disability compensation due to receipt of Special Separation Benefits.

The Board granted an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for PTSD with major depressive disorder and TDIU, but denied a higher initial disability rating for PTSD with major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's four left shoulder post-surgical scars are granted a 20 percent rating, but no higher. The remaining claims for increased ratings are remanded.

The Board remanded entitlement to service connection for ulcerative colitis, prostate disability, and kidney disability, as well as entitlement to a compensable disability rating for seborrheic dermatitis. The remand was ordered to correct multiple predecisional duty to assist errors including failure to provide the examiner's curriculum vitae, failure to obtain adequate medical opinions addressing the Veteran's theories of etiology, and failure to obtain forms the Veteran alleged he could not complete during the examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for neurodermatitis as the evidence did not support that the disability affected more than 5 percent of his body or required intermittent systemic therapy.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's forehead and left forearm scars, as well as psoriasis, and also denied earlier effective dates for service connection of these conditions.

The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability from April 4, 2009, to July 9, 2015.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disability, as the weight of evidence supported that it had its onset during a period of service adjudicated dishonorable for VA purposes and there was no continuity of symptomatology to the present.

The appeal for service connection for asthma and pseudo folliculitis barbae (PFB) was dismissed due to the Veteran's concurrent election of review options.

The Board granted readjudication of the claim for service connection for PTSD, denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition claimed as PTSD, dismissed the claim for chronic sinusitis, and denied increased ratings for various scars and conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and initial compensable ratings for tinea pedis, onychomycosis, and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's effective date for service connection of PTSD is granted as May 29, 2006, but no earlier. The claims for service connection for digestive disorder, eating disorder, acne, facial scars, and depression are remanded.

The Board denied increased ratings for postural vertigo, lumbosacral strain with DDD and degenerative changes, eczematous dermatitis of the hands and intermittent axillary eruption, and service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection for dermatitis, finding that November 15, 2022, was the correct effective date.