Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) Board decisions

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for tinea pedis is being remanded due to the need for a VA skin examination during a flare-up and the need to obtain treatment records.

The Board found no evidence of exposure to herbicides during service and could not establish a well-grounded claim for service connection based on presumed exposure. The veteran's skin and eye conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.

The veteran's nonservice-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance of another person or being housebound.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for chloracne as a result of exposure to Agent Orange is well-grounded and has been granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected pseudofolliculitis abscedens et suffodiens warrants an increased evaluation to 80 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 7800.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for facial acne and for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for hiatal hernia, gallstones, and hepatitis B. The veteran's claim for facial acne was not well-grounded due to lack of evidence linking it to service or Agent Orange exposure. For hiatal hernia, gallstones, and hepatitis B, the Board found no more than a 10 percent evaluation warranted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for psoriasis and Berger's disease, as well as his claim for a higher disability rating for PTSD. The reasons were that there was no competent medical evidence showing these conditions were related to Agent Orange exposure or any other in-service event.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for tinea pedis and folliculitis, asthma, memory loss and sleep disturbance, painful joints, and infection secondary to shots are not well grounded. The claim for asthma is considered well-grounded.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder involving the back and dermatitis involving the feet, face and thighs due to exposure to Agent Orange or as being secondary to service-connected psychiatric disability is not well grounded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a skin condition due to Agent Orange exposure and for increased evaluations of his multiple nevi on the chest and seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp. The claim for an earlier effective date for the right foot disability was dismissed as untimely filed.

The Board granted a 30 percent evaluation for pseudofolliculitis barbae, effective from June 1, 1999. The attorney fee amounting to 20 percent of past-due benefits was awarded from May 6, 1999 to August 4, 1999.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection for an olfactory neuroblastoma and a skin disorder (folliculitis) as residuals of exposure to Agent Orange are not well grounded.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and did not address the earlier effective date or annual clothing allowance claims.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic skin disorder and epistaxis were denied as they are not well grounded. The evidence does not support the presence of these conditions in service or due to any incident during service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder was denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking his current skin disorders to his active military service.

The Board dismissed the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death and an earlier effective date for a TDIU, finding that she abandoned her appeal by not responding to VA requests for information.

The Board found that the veteran's injuries in a March 1948 automobile accident were incurred in the line of duty. However, service connection for various conditions including nervous disorder, tinea versicolor, bilateral leg disability, skin disorder secondary to Agent Orange exposure, sinus disorder, and arthritis was denied as there is no competent evidence associating these conditions with his active military service.

The Board has determined that the February 1, 1996 rating decision denying service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae constituted clear and unmistakable error due to failure to properly apply the presumption of aggravation.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of Agent Orange exposure and chloracne, finding that there was no current diagnosis of a skin disorder or chloracne.

The Board has granted a 30% evaluation for hemorrhoids with impairment of sphincter control, and has not addressed the tinea pedis issue due to lack of appeal.