The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lichen planopilaris, specifically whether it is related to service or any exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner’s opinion was inadequate as it did not consider the Veteran's reports of in-service symptoms and recurrence since service.
- Claimed conditions
- lichen planopilaris
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18141378
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 18141378.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the evidence is in approximate balance as to whether lichen planopilaris was incurred in service, and after resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran, has granted service connection for lichen planopilaris.
- Granted
The Veteran's seborrheic dermatitis and lichen planopilaris with scarring alopecia of the scalp is rated at a maximum 60 percent since December 11, 2016.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected skin condition and other disabilities. The main issues include reopening of previously denied claims for various conditions, including respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, fatigue, digestive, genitourinary, and joint/muscle conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lichen planopilaris as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The opinion of non-VA providers Dr. Brooks and Dr. Weichert supports that the lichen planopilaris is aggravated by PTSD.
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