The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether currently diagnosed keloids are etiologically related to service, specifically acne vulgaris. As a result, the Veteran's claim for service connection for his skin condition, including as secondary to ionizing radiation exposure in service, is granted.
The deciding factor: The August 2015 VA examiner concluded that it was not known if the Veteran actually had acne vulgaris at separation, but based on the medical literature and discussion with the VA dermatology department, the Board finds there is sufficient evidence to conclude that there is an etiological link between the Veteran's current keloid condition and his acne vulgaris in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acne Vulgaris, Keloids
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2015
- Citation
- 1544482
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1544482.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for acne vulgaris was denied as his condition did not meet the criteria for deep acne (deep inflamed nodules and pus-filled cysts) affecting less than 40 percent of the face and neck, or deep acne other than on the face and neck.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings and earlier effective dates have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for hearing loss or disability of the cervical spine, and denied all other claims.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for Vitamin D Deficiency and Chronic Cough Condition were dismissed due to withdrawal of the appeals.,The Veteran's appeal for Acne Vulgaris was dismissed as his claim was granted during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for another examination to assess the Veteran's acne vulgaris with sebaceous cysts. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.
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