Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) Board decisions

The Veteran is granted a higher initial rating of 50 percent for migraine headaches, effective April 15, 2014.,The Veteran's neurodermatitis is currently rated at the maximum schedular rating of 60 percent.

The VA has determined that the Veteran's service-connected acne vulgaris does not warrant a compensable rating as her condition is manifested by less than 5% of total body area affected and constant or near constant systemic treatment with antibiotics.

The Board determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, thus denying his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's service-connected chloracne has resulted in visible or palpable tissue loss and either gross distortion or asymmetry of two features or paired sets of features, such as the nose, chin, forehead, eyes (including eyelids), ears (auricles), cheeks, or lips. This warrants a 50% rating since April 12, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to address the etiology of any diagnosed skin disorders, including tinea versicolor and vitiligo. The Veteran's claims are currently pending.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to incomplete information regarding his employment status and the need for further development, including obtaining SSA records and a VA opinion on the impact of service-connected disabilities on employability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a compensable rating for tinea cruris, finding that there was no direct or secondary service connection. The evidence did not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim for prior to June 11, 2009 was granted based on his service-connected PTSD and other disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and an addendum opinion from a VA dermatologist regarding the relationship between the Veteran's psoriasis and service-connected anxiety disorder with depression.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea is pending. The Board has not addressed this issue in the current decision.,Service connection for a cervical spine condition is denied as there is no evidence of an injury or disease incurred during service, and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that any current cervical spine condition is related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Travel Board hearing at the RO for issues including an increased disability rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae with acne, service connection for arthritis of the right hand and knees/shoulders, PTSD, and TDIU.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for testicular cancer and/or hydrocele, a chronic skin disorder, and skin cancer, all of which are claimed to be related to herbicide exposure during service. The evidence does not support these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin disorder, diagnosed as psoriasis and lichen simplex chronicus, did not manifest in service or for many years thereafter. The most probative opinion on the question of whether there exists a medical relationship between any current skin disability and service weighs against the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause his death, and thus denied the claim for service connection for cause of death. The issue of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is also denied.

The Veteran's hypertension is service connected as a result of herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Veteran was granted an initial compensable rating for folliculitis from January 18, 2011 to January 18, 2012. Service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities has been established.

The Veteran's neurodermatitis has been granted a higher initial rating of 60 percent from February 10, 2012 to May 12, 2016. Service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder is not established.

The Veteran's service connected conditions, including seborrheic dermatitis of the face, elbows, hands, scalp, groin, and axilla, rated at 60 percent, and pes planus, rated at 50 percent, render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment. The Board grants a TDIU based on this combination.

The Veteran has withdrawn all of the issues on appeal, including service connection, rating, and TDIU issues.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and spine and right knee disabilities, but severed service connection for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The effective date for the grant of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, cervical spine, and limitation of flexion in the right knee is set at April 27, 2012.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected fungal condition.