The Veteran's chloracne and facial scars are presumed to have been caused by his in-service exposure to herbicide agents. However, the VA examiner needs to address whether the pre-existing scarring on his chin and cheek at his June 1965 pre-induction examination is related to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner must determine if the Veteran's current chloracne and facial scars are related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents, taking into account any pre-existing scarring noted prior to service.
- Claimed conditions
- chloracne, facial scars residual to chloracne
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2021
- Citation
- 21073814
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 21073814.
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 Veteran's spouse is seeking to be substituted as the appellant for claims of service connection filed by the Veteran in August 2017. The AOJ has not yet determined whether she meets the requirements to substitute, and this issue must be remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's chloracne is presumed to be caused by his exposure to herbicide agents during service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for chloracne with pilonidal cyst associated with TERA participation was denied, and the claim for an effective date prior to July 29, 2024, for service connection was also denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions and private treatment records.
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