The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin condition, claimed as cystic acne, finding that his preexisting cystic acne was not aggravated by active service.
The deciding factor: The February 2017 VA examination found that the Veteran's cystic acne existed prior to service and was already severe at the time of enlistment. The Board concluded there was no evidence showing an increase in disability during service, thus denying the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- cystic acne
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2022
- Citation
- 22001319
Veterans Law Judge
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 22001319.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for skin disorder, including epidermal inclusion cysts. The decision is based on inadequate VA examinations and a duty to assist error before the May 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a skin condition, to include cystic acne and tinea versicolor, for further medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right elbow disorder, left elbow disorder, right great toenail disorder, hemorrhoids, cystic acne, IBS, and erectile dysfunction. The issues of residuals of broken ribs, left biceps tendon tear, fibromyalgia, vertigo dizziness, and chronic fatigue syndrome were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted restoration of the 30% rating for cystic acne and restored a separate 30% rating for painful scars of the back and groin, effective November 1, 2021.
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