Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) Board decisions

The veteran's claim for service connection for a disorder manifested by insomnia was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disease, including chloracne, as there was no competent medical evidence or diagnosis of chloracne at any time during or after service, and diagnoses of tinea versicolor dermatitis and/or ringworm originating in 2002 were not related causally to any incident, injury or exposure during the veteran's military service over 30 years earlier.

The veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date was dismissed as it is not authorized by law.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a foot rash, to include tinea pedis, was remanded for further development including an examination and opinion on the etiology of any current foot rash.

The appeal for service connection for cystic acne was withdrawn by the veteran, and thus the issue is dismissed.

The veteran's claims for a higher rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae and to reopen service connection for a skin disorder, claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure, are being remanded for further development.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date and a compensable rating for chloracne was denied as there is no evidence of the condition prior to December 8, 2000, and the current manifestations do not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The veteran's service-connected skin condition does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating, as it affects less than 20 percent of his entire body and exposed areas, and has not required systemic therapy such as corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs.

The Board concluded that the veteran's preexisting psoriasis did not chronically worsen during his active military service and denied service connection for psoriasis.

The veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for his skin disorder from February 28, 2005, to May 9, 2007, and the rating remained at 10 percent after May 10, 2007.

The veteran's service-connected status-post stress fracture of the left third metatarsal head was not compensable prior to May 3, 2007, and a 20 percent rating is assigned thereafter. The veteran's right foot scarring and left foot scarring are rated noncompensable, but he has been granted a 10 percent rating for the left foot scarring effective October 28, 2003, and a 30 percent rating for chronic dermatitis.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied, with the exception of a grant of service connection for GERD and arthritis in both knees.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, residuals of cold injuries to other than the ears and face, multiple skin disorders (chronic eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, tinea cruris, tinea pedis), and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities bilaterally were granted.

The veteran's hepatitis C was service-connected, but chloracne was not.

The Board denied the attorney's request for additional fees based on a decision of April 22, 2004 and May 20, 2004, as the criteria were not met.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bone loss due to dental trauma, a speech impediment, and bilateral cholesteatomas were denied. The veteran was also denied an increased evaluation for his migraine headaches but granted a compensable initial evaluation for pseudofolliculitis barbae.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for proper VCAA notice and development.

The appeal is remanded for further examination to determine the extent and severity of the veteran's service-connected acne, including any scarring associated with it.

The veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral tinea pedis was denied as the evidence did not support a finding of 5 percent, but less than 20 percent, of the entire body or of exposed areas affected by the condition.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development of evidence and a more thorough examination.