Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) Board decisions

The veteran's tinea corporis was rated at 30 percent initially, but increased to 60 percent from September 15, 2006 through September 9, 2008 due to the extent of skin affected.

The Board remands the case for further development, including a skin examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current skin disorder.

The veteran's service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae was rated at 30 percent, but no higher. Other claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus disability, residuals of left knee injury, residuals of left thumb injury, residuals of cervical sprain, and residuals of pseudofolliculitis barbae were not reopened as new and material evidence was not received.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disability, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic skin condition during service or within one year of discharge and that the preponderance of the evidence showed that his current skin condition was not related to his exposure to Agent Orange.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected varicose veins, left knee disability, and skin condition are being remanded for additional VA examinations.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disability of the hands and an increased rating for chronic tinea pedis were denied as there was no evidence of current disabilities that could be linked to his military service.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise with regard to the question of whether the veteran suffers from chloracne, or other acneform disease consistent with chloracne, was caused by exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board remands the case to obtain additional evidence and schedule a VA examination.

The veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating prior to July 22, 2008, and was rated at 30 percent from that date onward.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral tinea pedis were denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria. The claim for lumbar strain was remanded.

The Board remands the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine the current severity of the veteran's hypothyroidism and dermatitis.

The Board denied service connection for alcohol and drug abuse secondary to PTSD, hypertension, and an exfoliated skin disorder (claimed as chloracne) due to the lack of evidence supporting a direct link between these conditions and the veteran's military service.

The appeal is remanded for a comprehensive VA examination to determine if the veteran's skin condition, including dermatitis and urticaria, is related to service.

The veteran's chloracne was incurred in active service due to presumed exposure to an herbicide agent during his tours of duty in Vietnam.

The veteran's service-connected hyperhidrosis of the feet with dyshidrotic dermatitis does not warrant a disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for his eczematous dermatitis, finding that an initial rating higher than 30 percent was not warranted based on the severity of the condition as determined by recent VA examinations.

The veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis was granted, while right ear hearing loss and bilateral dermatitis of the feet were denied. The PTSD rating remained at 50 percent.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, as well as service connection for a skin disability, were denied. The 10 percent rating for tinnitus is the maximum schedular rating available, and there was no evidence of a compensable evaluation for the hearing loss or that the skin condition was related to service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for chloracne, a vision disability, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and a bladder disability were denied as there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his active military service.