The Veteran's skin condition, pseudofolliculitis barbae, is rated at 0 percent due to less than 5% of the entire body or less than 5% of exposed areas affected. The Board finds no current diagnoses for a lower back or left knee disability and remands for further examination.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have current diagnoses for his claimed lower back and left knee disabilities, which are necessary to establish service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Pseudofolliculitis Barbae, Lower Back Strain, Left Knee Strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18145055
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 18145055.
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 remands the claims for further development and to ensure compliance with VA's duty to assist.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction, but granted an increased rating of 40 percent for a low back disability (intervertebral disc syndrome) and 20 percent for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing was denied as he does not meet the criteria due to his ability to independently ambulate with the use of braces.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD, denied ratings in excess of 30 percent for left and right knee strains, granted separate 10 percent ratings for painful, noncompensable limitation of flexion of the knees, granted service connection for back condition and related radiculopathies, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a right shoulder condition.
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