Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chloracne may be presumed to have been incurred during his active service due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, and thus service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including lumbar stenosis with herniated disc and radiculitis, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, residuals of frostbite to both hands, residuals of frostbite to both feet, and left lower shin dermatitis. The case will be returned to the RO after completion of this development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus pre-existed his military service and was not aggravated by any incident of his active service. The other disorders of the bilateral feet were also not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's neurodermatitis was manifested by symptoms involving less than 20 percent of the total body surface or exposed areas affected, and he did not require use of systemic therapy for a total duration of 6 weeks over a 12-month period. As such, his claim for an increased rating for service-connected neurodermatitis is denied.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran was granted service connection for a skin condition (acne keloidalis nuchae), residuals of left foot fracture, and bilateral hearing loss disability. Service connection for hypertension was not established.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder, including chloracne, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for a urinary or prostate disorder, including enuresis, benign prostatic hypertrophy, nocturia, and urinary incontinence, as well as an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claim for an initial compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae was also denied.

The Veteran's skin disorder and back disability are being remanded for further examination and evaluation, as the current evidence does not fully address whether these conditions are related to his service in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected chloracne was granted, with a 40 percent rating effective April 12, 2007. A subsequent increase to 60 percent was assigned on January 11, 2009.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic tinea pedis and onychomycosis were rated at 30 percent from May 22, 2008. The Board has determined that a higher rating of 60 percent is warranted due to the need for near-constant systemic therapy.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a Board video-conference hearing, which was rescheduled.

The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae was rated as non-compensable from August 24, 2007 through November 21, 2010.,From November 22, 2010 to May 4, 2011, the Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae was rated as 10 percent disabling.,Effective from May 5, 2011, the Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae is rated at 30 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected psoriasis of the bilateral hands does not render him unemployable as he is capable of performing substantially gainful employment.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the July 2008 decision that established service connection for Dercum's disease and updated the Veteran's acne vulgaris rating. The effective date remains unchanged.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the assignment of a 60 percent disability rating for Dercum's disease, angiolipomas and acne vulgaris, as well as for the grant of a TDIU. The Veteran did not meet the schedular or extra-schedular criteria for these ratings prior to August 30, 2002.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic bilateral hearing loss disability and chronic acne rosacea, finding that both conditions are related to the Veteran's military service due to noise exposure. The effective date is not specified as it was already in effect.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination to reassess the severity of his dermatitis. The Board will also determine if the Veteran's Morphea en coupe de sabre requires extra-schedular consideration.

The Veteran developed a right inguinal hernia during Active Duty for Training (ACDUTRA) and underwent surgical repair. The Board finds that service connection is warranted for the right inguinal hernia.

The Veteran's dermatitis has not affected at least five percent of exposed areas, or at least five percent of his total body area, and immunosuppressive therapy has not been prescribed. Therefore, the criteria for an initial compensable evaluation have not been met.