Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) Board decisions

The veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been incurred in service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The claims for secondary service connection of hypertension, fatigue, shortness of breath, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy, tinea pedis and tinea capitis, and headaches are also granted.

The Board has established service connection for bilateral pes planus, tinea pedis, and eczematous dermatitis. Service connection was not granted for a gastrointestinal disability or sinusitis.

The Board has determined that the veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae is not related to his active service and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hidradenitis suppurativa, claiming it as chronic folliculitis with incision and drainage of abscesses. The evidence did not support a finding that the condition was incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board found no evidence of a service-connected skin condition and denied the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not timely file a substantive appeal regarding his claim for service connection for urticarial dermatitis, and therefore, the appeal is dismissed.

The veteran's chloracne is related to his presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The veteran's initial claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that prior to September 9, 2000, the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for folliculitis were not met. From September 9, 2000 to September 26, 2000, a 50 percent rating was warranted for folliculitis. After September 26, 2000, the veteran's condition did not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent. For his fracture of proximal interphalangeal joint, left index finger, a 10 percent rating is warranted.

The veteran's bilateral tinea pedis was initially evaluated as noncompensable and later granted a compensable evaluation of 10 percent effective March 16, 2004. The condition has since been rated at the same level until November 22, 2004.

The veteran's seborrheic dermatitis is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7806-7800.,The veteran's varicose veins of the right lower extremity are currently rated as 10 percent disabling and do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7120.

The veteran's increased rating claims for acne vulgaris and bronchitis were denied by the RO. The clothing allowance claim was also denied.

The Board has granted a 10 percent disability evaluation for the veteran's service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae, herpes zoster, rosacea, acne vulgaris, and eczema as of July 12, 2007.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and granted service connection for a skin condition rated 0 percent. The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for lumbosacral strain was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have seborrheic dermatitis or dystrophic toenails that are related to service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 20, 1997, for the grant of service connection for aquagenic pruritis.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied across multiple conditions, with the exception of tinnitus which was assigned a 10% evaluation.

The Board found that the veteran's skin disorder, diagnosed as psoriasis, did not have its onset in service and is not related to exposure to VX nerve agent during participation in Project 112 operational tests. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to his military service and have denied all of his claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a diagnosed disability of the left hand, and thus service connection for this condition is denied. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for facial acne was also addressed but no new information or evidence was provided, so it remains in its current state.

The veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and initial compensable evaluations are being remanded due to inadequate VCAA notice.