The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp is being remanded due to the need for clarification regarding the type and frequency of treatment received, as well as a new VA examination.
The deciding factor: Clarification is needed on whether the various topical steroid therapy and phototherapy constitute systemic therapy affecting the Veteran's body as a whole or are like or similar to corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs. Additionally, clarification is needed regarding whether Tetracycline, Accutane, and interscalp steroid injections are like or similar to corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs.
- Claimed conditions
- Seborrheic Dermatitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19190518
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,874 · Granted: 33% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19190518.
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.
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The Veteran's claim for SMC is granted, effective February 1, 2021. The decision is based on the combination of his service-connected PTSD and other disabilities that independently rate at least 60 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and an opinion regarding the relationship between current vision loss and in-service radiofrequency radiation exposure.
- Granted
The Veteran's seborrheic dermatitis on the scalp was reduced from a 30 percent rating to zero percent effective December 1, 2020. The Board has restored the 30 percent rating for the Veteran's seborrheic dermatitis as it found that there is at least equipoise evidence of improvement in her ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.
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