The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for a burn scar of the nose is dismissed. The claim for service connection for a skin disability has been reopened, and it is granted due to equipoise in determining whether his current skin disabilities had their onset during service.
The deciding factor: The evidence received since the last final decision includes VA and private medical records that relate to the Veteran's current skin conditions and supports an opinion that his skin disabilities are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- psoriasis vulgaris, chloracne, eczema, acne, actinic keratosis, seborrheic keratosis, hyperhidrosis, dermatitis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2021
- Citation
- 21030397
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 21030397.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of June 8, 2022 for the award of service connection for a skin disability (dermatitis). This decision is based on the receipt of an intent to file dated June 8, 2022.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an initial noncompensable rating for eczema was granted, effective November 5, 2024. The effective date could not be earlier due to the lack of a prior formal or informal claim within one year of receipt of the Intent to File.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for chronic fatigue syndrome and acne due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's service-connected conditions will need further examination, and an adequate medical opinion is required regarding the relationship between his acne and his bipolar disorder.
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