The Board has determined that the service-connected atopic dermatitis contributed substantially and materially to the Veteran's cause of death, metastatic sinus cancer. The Board finds that the appellant is credible in her report about the prolonged steroid treatment for atopic dermatitis.
The deciding factor: Chronic use of steroids can predispose to the development of cancer, which was found by a VA examiner to be related to the service-connected atopic dermatitis.
- Claimed conditions
- atopic dermatitis, metastatic sinus cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- February 5, 2016
- Citation
- 1604393
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 1604393.
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.
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The Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as lumbosacral strain, osseous & subluxation stenosis of lumbar foramina, is granted with a rating of 40 percent effective February 9, 2024. The other service connection claims are also granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal is denied as the disability rating for atopic dermatitis and pilaris keratosis was reduced from 60 percent to 30 percent effective July 1, 2020. The Veteran does not meet criteria for a higher rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for left knee strain, obstructive sleep apnea, atopic dermatitis, chronic rhinitis, and chronic sinusitis due to insufficient medical opinions addressing all theories of entitlement. The Veteran's conditions are now considered significantly worsened.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's skin disability (atopic dermatitis, folliculitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and seborrheic keratosis) on a direct basis. The decision finds that there is at least an equipoise of evidence to support the claim, thus resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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