Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's skin disability, including seborrheic dermatitis, was not incurred during service or due to herbicide exposure. The claim for secondary service connection based on a claimed skin disorder related to Vietnam service was denied.

The Veteran's current skin disability had its onset in service and is etiologically related to his active service, thus the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder, and remanded the case to obtain additional medical opinion regarding the etiology of his current skin disorders.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service medical records and additional evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims of entitlement to service connection for tinea pedis and porokeratosis will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from April 22, 2002 to April 21, 2003. On and after April 22, 2003, the Veteran was not precluded from securing or following substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from engaging in substantially gainful employment during the entire appellate period, without regard to age or impact of nonservice-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's skin disorder, chloracne, is service-connected. The hearing loss and tinnitus claims are pending further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates were denied. The Board found no evidence of active pseudofolliculitis barbae or diabetes mellitus requiring compensable ratings, and the TDIU claim was not addressed as it had been rendered moot.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not currently have a current disability of tinea pedis or chronic knee disabilities, and thus service connection cannot be granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's skin disorder, tinea versicolor, was found to cover no more than 20-40% of his body or exposed areas affected and did not require corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs prior to February 16, 2010. Therefore, the claim for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine has been reopened, and he is now entitled to a 30 percent rating.,The Veteran's effective date for his increased disability rating of 30 percent for generalized dermatitis has been advanced from September 13, 2006 to the date of claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected eczema and bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension with an enlarged heart and acne were not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred due to exposure to herbicide agents. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Veteran's service-connected follicular atopic dermatitis was reduced from a 60 percent rating to a 30 percent rating effective December 1, 2007. The Board found that the reduction was improper due to procedural errors and restored the original 60 percent rating.

The Veteran's low back condition is service-connected, and his acquired psychiatric disability (anxiety disorder and PTSD) may be related to service. The lung condition is not service-connected.

The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran has a current skin disorder, specifically psoriasis, that is related to his active military service or exposure to Agent Orange. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and dermatitis of the arms, hands, and left foot have been denied. The evidence received since the last final denial is not new or material to reopen any of these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA examination reports and SSA records.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of his service-connected skin disability is being remanded due to improper consideration of photographic evidence. Additional development, including a VA examination and review of the claims file, is required before further adjudication can be undertaken.