The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion evidence regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused her hidradenitis suppurativa and contact dermatitis. The examiner must address if these conditions are related to any of the Veteran’s skin diagnoses in service, including acne, pustules, papules, fungal infections, yeast infections, or other issues mentioned in her service treatment records.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient medical opinion evidence regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused her hidradenitis suppurativa and contact dermatitis.
- Claimed conditions
- hidradenitis suppurativa, contact dermatitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20082026
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for several service-connected conditions, granted a 20 percent rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy, and remanded other issues.
- Partly granted
The Board granted initial ratings of 30 percent for trigeminal neuralgia and 40 percent for both left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied an increased rating for contact dermatitis. An earlier effective date was also granted for the right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal requests for the specified rating decisions were denied as they were not timely filed, and good cause was not shown to accept late filings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected contact dermatitis to correct a duty to assist error.
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