The Board has determined that the Veteran's facial skin disorder, including residuals of impetigo, is not related to his service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no in-service record of care or treatment for a condition of the face, no evidence of an in-service diagnosis or treatment for impetigo, and noted that it would be expected for the Veteran to have received in-service treatment due to his access to specialized care. The examiner also stated there was no objective evidence of record to support a history of a skin infection during service that was significant enough to result in scarring.
- Claimed conditions
- facial skin disorder, residuals of impetigo
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2017
- Citation
- 1700266
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1700266.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The claims for service connection are being remanded due to a duty to assist error. A VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current skin, respiratory, and Valley fever issues are related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's current facial skin disorders, including squamous cell carcinoma and solar keratoses, are not related to his military service or exposure to herbicides. The preponderance of evidence is against the claim.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the unavailability of service treatment records and incomplete post-service medical records. The RO will attempt to obtain these records and provide the Veteran with an opportunity for a VA examination if necessary.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed left shoulder disability and facial skin disorder. Additional medical opinions are needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.
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