Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) Board decisions

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, arthritis of the bilateral knees, residuals of asbestos exposure, and tinea pedis were all denied. The Board found no direct evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive exposure basis.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA clinical records and scheduling a current examination to assess his service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The VA found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability evaluations or service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chloracne and bilateral peripheral neuropathy, finding no current diagnoses of these conditions. The appeal is based on presumed exposure to herbicides during active duty in Vietnam.

The veteran's scalp folliculitis was rated at 10% prior to August 17, 2004. From that date forward, the condition is not compensable under VA rating criteria. The veteran's gastrointestinal disorder has been assigned a maximum (30%) rating since June 1999.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae and a rating in excess of 20 percent for hemorrhoids, finding that his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under VA's rating schedule.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for seborrheic dermatitis and a right testicle epididymal cyst, to include as secondary to Agent Orange exposure. The AOJ must adjudicate these claims with consideration of all additional evidence since issuance of the most recent statement of the case.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including spinal injury with cervical spur and lumbar arthritis, cervical spine radiculopathy, viral syndrome, hyperlipidemia, bilateral leg cramps, weight gain from reduced physical mobility, concussion, dizziness, seizures and cerebral vascular accident, throat disability (trouble swallowing), disability of the abdomen and viscera, and bilateral foot disability were denied due to lack of evidence supporting these claims.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and dermatitis, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service or any service-connected condition.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.

The VA has determined that the veteran does not have any currently diagnosed conditions related to his service, including residuals of right and left palmar bruises, contact dermatitis, or cervical strain. Therefore, these claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have chloracne or peripheral neuropathy, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected tinea versicolor does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes. The current 10% rating is appropriate given the nature and extent of his skin condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to scheduling issues, including rescheduling a video conference hearing.

The Board has granted service connection for chloracne and the veteran's claim of an increased rating for acne vulgaris is remanded due to conflicting diagnoses and lack of proper VCAA notice.

The Board denied an increased rating for folliculitis barbae and found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen claims for service connection of gastrointestinal disorder (claimed as a gastric condition) and schizophrenia (previously claimed as a nervous condition).

The VA denied the veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, as his combined disability rating is 80%, which meets the minimum schedular criteria but does not meet the requirement of preventing him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected dermatophytosis of the hands and feet, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for acne vulgaris has been denied as his condition does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 7828 or 7800.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for alcoholism as secondary to PTSD, left hand ulnar neuropathy, tinea pedis (claimed as jungle rot of the feet), and jungle rot of the right hand. The evidence did not establish a current disability or a nexus between these conditions and service.