Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) Board decisions

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for headaches, the maximum available under Diagnostic Code 8100. The other issues remain unchanged with noncompensable ratings.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including examinations to assess his cystic acne and right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's respiratory disability is not service-connected, and the claims to reopen for tinea cruris and PTSD are denied.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple conditions and exposures, but the specific service connection decisions are pending as the case is being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran seeks reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses incurred for private ambulance travel on December 7, 2005. The Board has determined that the claim must be remanded to obtain necessary records and determine whether the Veteran was enrolled in the VA health care system at the time of the emergency treatment.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected allergic contact dermatitis and miliaria rubra, as well as his claim for individual unemployability due to PTSD, are being remanded for additional development.

The Board found that the Veteran's nonspecific dermatitis and COPD are not related to his active service, with no current evidence of a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board found no evidence of a current skin condition related to service or herbicide exposure, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and secondary service connection, finding no current diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy or other claimed conditions. The rating for diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for hearing loss, service connection for hypothyroidism, and reopening of the claim for seborrheic dermatitis were all denied. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable evaluations for residual scar of a left thumb laceration and tinea unguium of the bilateral toenails, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, anemia, mixed personality disorder (claimed as PTSD), and refractive error of eyes have all been denied. The evidence does not show any current disability that would warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Board found that the reduction of the evaluation for hypertension from 20 percent to 10 percent was proper. The veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disorder, left ankle disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder were denied as there is no evidence of current diagnoses or in-service incurrence.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD was granted, as the medical evidence showed a diagnosis of PTSD related to verified in-service stressors. The claim for service connection for psoriasis remains pending and will be addressed after additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and retaining employment consistent with his abilities, aptitudes, and interests. As the effects of an employability impairment have been overcome, he does not have an employment handicap.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected eczematoid dermatitis warranted a disability rating of 30 percent, which is less than the maximum available benefit awardable.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic skin disorder, including as due to herbicide exposure, was denied because there is no evidence linking his current condition to his active service.

The Veteran's chronic dermatitis is currently rated at 60 percent, effective March 2005. The Board finds that the evidence supports this rating.

The Veteran's dermatophytosis/tinea pedis affects 5 percent of his body and has not resulted in scarring or required systemic therapy such as corticosteroids. Therefore, the claim for an increased rating is granted at a 10 percent disability level.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for renal dysfunction, gastritis as separate from service-connected GERD, depression with insomnia, and a skin disorder other than service-connected dermatitis are all denied. The evidence does not support the presence of these conditions.