The Board has determined that an additional VA examination is needed to clarify whether the Veteran's pre-existing acne condition was aggravated during service and if so, whether this aggravation led to permanent scarring. The case will be returned to the RO for readjudication after considering all new evidence.
The deciding factor: An additional VA examiner is required to provide a clear and unmistakable opinion on whether the pre-existing acne condition underwent an increase in severity during service due to natural progression or was aggravated by service-related factors, including exposure to heat, sweating, and laundry chemicals.
- Claimed conditions
- acne, scars
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 29, 2016
- Citation
- 1638661
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 1638661.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for chronic fatigue syndrome and acne due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's service-connected conditions will need further examination, and an adequate medical opinion is required regarding the relationship between his acne and his bipolar disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of April 14, 1972 for the award of service connection for scars and denied a compensable disability rating.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left leg shin splints, right leg shin splints, joint pain (claimed as arthritis), sleep apnea, fatigue, neck condition, acne, and lung condition. The evidence did not show a current disability or link to military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from engaging in gainful employment as of January 1, 2019. The Board granted a TDIU effective from that date.
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