Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the severance of service connection for several conditions due to insufficient evidence regarding the appellant's earlier period of service.

The Veteran's skin disability, diagnosed as chronic tinea pedis, onychomycosis, urticaria, spongiotic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, eczematous dermatitis, and lichen simplex chronicus, is related to his service. The Board also found the Veteran’s back disorder may be related to an in-service fall but remanded for further clarification.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates are denied as there is no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to July 28, 2017.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate examination reports and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for seborrheic dermatitis, scars related to seborrheic dermatitis, and a back disability due to procedural issues.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination. Service connection is granted for right foot tinea pedis, but service connection remains in dispute for right foot pain disorder and a back disorder.

The Veteran's claim for an initial, compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae was denied. The condition has not been treated with systemic therapy and does not involve at least 5 percent of either his entire body or exposed areas.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for GERD, left shoulder impingement syndrome, costochondritis, and seborrhea dermatitis due to the need for updated VA examinations to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for a referral to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration during the period from December 29, 2013, to December 29, 2014.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of May 16, 2006. The Board has granted an effective date for the TDIU and DEA benefits but not for SMC based on aid and attendance.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia, gout, rhinitis, acne vulgaris and PFB, hypertension, erectile dysfunction (ED), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and sleep apnea have been granted service connection. The effective date for the grant of service connection is December 10, 2014.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for a skin disability, other than residuals of cellulitis and epidermophytosis of the feet, on a secondary basis due to lack of discussion in the September 2012 decision regarding the theory of secondary service connection. The case is now pending with an addendum opinion needed from a VA clinician.

The Veteran's claim for VR&E benefits related to education and training for a career as a licensed social worker is remanded due to incomplete documentation. The AOJ must obtain the Veteran's medical records, assess his current employment feasibility, and provide him with vocational rehabilitation assessments.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinea pedis and a skin disability (including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) as there is no evidence that these conditions began during or are otherwise related to his military service.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim for service connection for a left ankle disability has been granted. The Board has also remanded several other issues including increased ratings and service connection claims.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a bilateral foot condition, left knee disability, migraines, and pseudofolliculitis barbae due to the need for further development. The Veteran will be afforded VA examinations to assess his current diagnoses and their relationship to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been reopened and granted. The Board found that the evidence is new and material, as it relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim - his tinnitus being related to noise exposure during service.,For the bilateral hearing loss disability, the Veteran's claim was not reopened because no new and material evidence was received since the April 2012 rating decision. The Board found that the evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim - his hearing loss not being related to service.

The Board has remanded several issues, including service connection for various conditions and a compensable evaluation for erectile dysfunction. The Veteran's claims for venereal disease, left ankle condition, skin condition, and iron deficiency anemia are not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board has granted a 10 percent initial rating for left foot disability and denied higher ratings. The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent since March 1, 2013. The claim for eczema was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal regarding a compensable disability rating for tinea pedis has been dismissed. The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II is granted, but the case is remanded for further examination of his malaria condition.