The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's discoid lupus erythematosus arose during service or is related to exposure to herbicide agents. The claim will be reconsidered with a new examination.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to address the Veteran's lay statements and the July 1967 service retention examination, which may impact the determination of whether DLE arose in service.
- Claimed conditions
- discoid lupus erythematosus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2022
- Citation
- 22016150
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 22016150.
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 Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for lupus and discoid lupus erythematosus due to potential exposure through a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) in service, including as a fire support specialist. The Veteran will be provided with an examination to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Granted
Effective August 26, 2023, the Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation at the rate intermediate between 38 U.S.C. 1114(m) and 38 U.S.C. 1114(n) (M12) is granted, subject to law and regulations governing the award of monetary benefits. Additionally, a 30 percent rating for service-connected migraines is granted effective August 26, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claim of service connection for discoid lupus erythematosus.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for discoid lupus erythematosus as a qualifying chronic diagnosable MUCMI of unknown etiology in a Persian Gulf War veteran. The Veteran's disability is characterized by symptoms including muscle and joint pain, fatigue, rashes, and spots on his arms, and requires the use of corticosteroids for treatment for periods of at least 6 weeks.
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