The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for skin conditions and hypertension due to exposure to herbicides. The remand requires additional opinions from VA examiners regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current skin conditions, including rosacea, solar lentigo, actinic keratosis, and residuals of skin cancer, and his in-service sun exposure and herbicide exposure. Additionally, an opinion is needed on whether hypertension is related to service-connected PTSD, obstructive sleep apnea, or diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: The remand requires additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current skin conditions and his in-service exposures, as well as an evaluation of whether his hypertension is related to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- rosacea, solar lentigo, actinic keratosis, residuals of skin cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20058472
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 20058472.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and actinic keratosis as the appeal is considered duplicative of a previous decision.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for actinic keratosis, finding that his condition had its onset during active duty and is related to exposure to harmful sun while deployed in Afghanistan.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for multiple skin conditions (hyperkeratotic eczematous dermatitis, psoriasis, tinea pedis, and rosacea) to the hands, feet, and face as secondary to medications taken for treatment of his service-connected hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination opinions regarding the Veteran's rosacea, which is related to service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.