Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) Board decisions

The Board denied the appellant's claims of entitlement to increased ratings for residuals of conjunctivitis, trigeminal neuralgia, right knee disability and tinea corporis. The appeal did not involve service connection issues.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current acne vulgaris and diabetes mellitus to service or any incident of service, including alleged exposure to Agent Orange. The claims were denied as there was insufficient evidence to establish a connection between these conditions and active duty.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the duodenal ulcer claim. The other claims were also denied as they did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder is not well grounded.,The RO denied service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae in November 1993, finding that the evidence did not show permanent aggravation of a pre-existing condition. The veteran did not appeal this decision.

The veteran's memory loss and attention problems, skin disorders, swollen lymph nodes, hair loss, fatigue, and joint pain are all found to be related to an undiagnosed illness during his Gulf War service.

The Board has granted an increased rating for acne vulgaris to 10 percent effective July 16, 1997. The claim for an earlier effective date is denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are denied as there is no competent medical evidence of current disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for a fungal disorder, but denied an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent. The effective date remains February 10, 1986.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinea pedis with onychomycosis of the toenails is currently evaluated as a 10 percent disability, based on symptoms such as scaling and maceration over extensive areas of the feet.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to exposure to herbicides are denied as they are not well-grounded.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a left ankle sprain, including arthritis in the left ankle, and inferred service connection for asteatotic eczema of the lower legs based on evidence from service records. The appellant is entitled to a minimum compensable rating for these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his dermatophytosis (tinea pedis and tinea cruris) with calluses, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU was also addressed but is pending as there has been no substantive appeal filed.

The veteran's tinea pedis and tinea manus are currently evaluated as 30 percent disabling. The Board denied an increased evaluation for these conditions.

The Board denied a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that the veteran was not precluded from doing sedentary work.

The Board has granted a 50 percent evaluation for dyshidrotic eczema of both feet, and denied service connection for post-concussion syndrome due to lack of well-grounded evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for primary and secondary service connection for his skin disorder, as well as a claim for an increased rating for his lumbosacral strain. The decision also noted that the veteran's plantar calluses of both feet are caused by his service-connected lumbosacral strain.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected skin disorder (Generalized dermatitis), chronic bronchitis, and pilonidal cyst. The effective date is not specified as it was a direct grant of benefits without reopening an old claim.

The VA determined that there is no competent evidence linking the veteran's current skin disorder to his military service or exposure to herbicides, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has determined that further evidentiary development is needed, including determining the nature of the veteran's cattle farming operation and obtaining additional evidence regarding his service-connected disabilities. The claims for increased evaluations for coronary artery disease with hypertension and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine will be addressed separately.