Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's hypertension and pseudofolliculitis barbae claims were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, residuals of right breast surgery, and eczematous dermatosis of the hands, face, arms and legs due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's exposure while stationed at Fort McClellan is being verified, and she will be scheduled for an examination to assess her current severity.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for tinea pedis with tinea cruris, as it did not cover more than 40% of his body or exposed areas. For other conditions, the preponderance of the evidence was against finding a direct relationship to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including major depressive disorder, is granted. The Board finds that the current diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder is related to his active military service and grants this claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an opinion from a vocational specialist or dermatologist regarding the impact of the Veteran's service-connected skin disorder on his ability to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin condition, including eczema, finding that there was no evidence linking his current diagnosis to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of 40 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) is granted. The claim for an increased rating of 30 percent for tinea versicolor, prior to September 16, 2014, is also granted. However, the claim for an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for tinea versicolor, from September 16, 2014, is denied. The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted.

The Veteran's prostate cancer and skin disorders are being remanded for further examination and evaluation. The rating for prostate cancer will be reassessed, and the service connection for a skin disorder will be reconsidered based on new evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, lumbar spine disability, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), residuals of frostbite of the hands and feet, and acquired psychiatric disorder, to include major depressive disorder (MDD). The evidence received since the February 2011 rating decision is not material.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, acne, and migraine/headache disorder are remanded due to inadequate examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic skin disability, including as secondary to herbicide exposure, finding no evidence of such condition during service and insufficient causal link between current symptoms and military service.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations are inadequate for purposes of adjudicating the Veteran's claims on appeal and remands them for further development. The issues include service connection for spinal nerve degeneration with pain and numbness, back condition and degenerative arthritis of the spine; dermatitis or eczema and onychomycosis of the toenails; and peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and needs further evaluation by a dermatologist.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, dermatitis on the right and left legs, and scar formation of the bilateral lower extremities. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II was granted service connection.,Service connection was also granted for prostate cancer, diabetic retinopathy secondary to diabetes mellitus type II, and erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral foot arthritis has been dismissed. The Board also remanded the cases of a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and a compensable disability rating for bilateral tinea pedis.

The Veteran's tinea versicolor, tinea pedis, and dystrophic nails are rated together as a single condition due to the overlapping affected areas. A 30% rating is granted for dermatophytosis with dystrophic nails prior to September 28, 2007.

The Veteran's appeal has been remanded for additional examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD, lumbar spine disorder, bronchitis, left fifth finger fracture, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and bilateral shin splints.

The Board has denied service connection for eczema, right shoulder disorder, right leg disorder, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, and left knee disorder as there is no evidence of current diagnoses with respect to any of the claimed disorders.