Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) Board decisions

The Veteran's CAD, following coronary bypass surgery, has been rated at 60 percent since September 25, 2010. The evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 19, 2006, for the award of service connection for mycosis fungoides. The May 1994 rating decision denying service connection for chloracne as a result of Agent Orange exposure is final and not subject to CUE review.

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and he did not meet the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board found that the Veteran's skin disorder, diagnosed as actinic keratosis and seborrheic keratosis, did not manifest within a year of his last exposure to herbicide agents during service. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's current skin condition is related to active military service or due to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and an increased rating for right shoulder impingement syndrome, but denied the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and recurrent folliculitis of the occipital scalp.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation prior to March 12, 2014 and in excess of 10 percent thereafter for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) was denied as the evidence did not show that his skin condition covered more than 5% of his body or exposed areas, nor did it require systemic therapy such as corticosteroids.

The Board found that the Veteran's current folliculitis did not have onset during active service and is not etiologically related to his active service. The criteria for a compensable disability rating for hypertension were also not met.

The Board has granted service connection for a skin disability of the legs, but found insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the Veteran's current skin disabilities of his upper extremities, back, chest, and face and his active duty service. The issue regarding these conditions is remanded.

The appellant withdrew her appeals for the claims of service connection for left knee chondromalacia with a history of left meniscectomy, low back strain and degenerative disc disease as secondary to the left knee disorder, chloracne on the back, shoulders, and lower abdomen, and hearing loss in the left ear.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right foot injury, tinea pedis of the right and left feet, and sleep apnea was denied. The Board found that there is insufficient evidence to establish these conditions as incurred or aggravated during active duty or Reserve service.,There are no indications in the record that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, other than schizoaffective disorder, do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for eczema has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, which is presumed to have been incurred during the Veteran's service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations. The initial compensable rating and TDIU claims are pending.

The Veteran's skin disorder may be related to his service, including presumed Agent Orange exposure and treatment for poison ivy in 1969. The claim is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the increased disability ratings for anxiety disorder and dermatitis before a decision was made.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, tinea pedis and tinea cruris, polymorphous light eruption (PLE), scars, residual of a shrapnel wound to the right leg, bilateral hearing loss, and residuals of malaria. The Veteran's contentions and treatment records indicate current diagnoses.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, effective from September 11, 2011. The claim for service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae was reopened and denied due to lack of evidence relating current condition to service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current diagnoses of dyshidrotic eczema and multiple sclerosis are not related to her active duty service. The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's in-service skin conditions, including heat rash, contact dermatitis, or atopic distribution follicular rash, caused her current dyshidrotic eczema. Additionally, there is no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's multiple sclerosis and her active duty service.

The Veteran's skin disability does not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent as it affects less than 40 percent of the entire body or exposed areas, and has not required constant or near-constant systemic therapy such as corticosteroids.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining VA and private medical records, ensuring all notification letters are associated with the file, and readjudicating the claims.