Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) Board decisions

The Board has granted an annual clothing allowance for the veteran's service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae, effective from August 30, 2002.

The RO granted service connection and a 30 percent rating for chloracne and acneiform facial scarring, effective August 21, 2003. The veteran's claim was reopened due to new evidence submitted after his initial denial.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, chloracne, skin cirrhosis, and a tumor of the left parotid gland. The veteran was also denied reopening his claim for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for subacute peripheral neuropathy and chloracne, both of which he claimed were related to his military service exposure to Agent Orange. The Board found no current diagnoses of these conditions in the medical records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected tinea pedis and cruris warrants a 10 percent disability rating, as it involves at least 5 percent but less than 20 percent of the entire body or exposed areas affected.

The Board has determined that the veteran's skin disorder, diagnosed as tinea pedis and eczema with residual skin discoloration, does not meet or approximate the requirements for a compensable evaluation.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from engaging in gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for acne vulgaris was denied. The initial higher rating claim for PTSD prior to March 20, 2007 was also denied. However, a higher initial rating of 30% for PTSD beginning March 20, 2007 was granted.,The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 10% before March 20, 2007 and at 30% from that date onwards.

The VA denied the appellant's claim for an increased rating for his dermatitis disability, as it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under the applicable diagnostic code.

The Board found that tinea pedis was noted on entrance into service and did not increase in severity during service beyond the natural progression of the disorder. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating under either the percentage or extraschedular standards.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluation of his skin disability, reopening of a previously denied claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain, and compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. &#1151 for residuals of ventral hernia repair were all denied.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current heart condition, urinary tract condition, groin condition, right knee condition, or right leg condition related to service. The veteran's tinea versicolor and pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) were aggravated by service, while his hearing loss was not shown to be due to service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully and fairly assess the veteran's claims for service connection. This includes obtaining medical records, scheduling examinations, and ensuring all relevant evidence is considered.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus granting total disability based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has determined that the appellant meets the criteria for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only due to permanent impairment of vision in both eyes resulting from service-connected glaucoma.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected chronic dermatitis did not meet or exceed the criteria for a higher evaluation, maintaining a rating of 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected ankle disabilities played a material causal role in his death, and therefore grants service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The claimant's acne vulgaris of the face was also denied a higher rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for acneiform disease due to dioxin exposure, finding that the matter had already been addressed in a final decision and was not subject to further review.