The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions provided are inadequate and remanded for further development. The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for urethral stricture and associated erectile dysfunction, as well as service connection for asteatotic eczema and/or atopic dermatitis (a skin disability), to include as due to herbicide exposure, are remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions provided were inadequate and did not address the Veteran's contentions regarding the surgery and post-operative issues, nor did they provide a rationale for their conclusions regarding the etiology of his skin disability.
- Claimed conditions
- urethral stricture, asteatotic eczema, atopic dermatitis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2024
- Citation
- 24009190
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 24009190.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as lumbosacral strain, osseous & subluxation stenosis of lumbar foramina, is granted with a rating of 40 percent effective February 9, 2024. The other service connection claims are also granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal is denied as the disability rating for atopic dermatitis and pilaris keratosis was reduced from 60 percent to 30 percent effective July 1, 2020. The Veteran does not meet criteria for a higher rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's pelvic floor dysfunction, chronic, with urethral stricture and interstitial cystitis is remanded for further examination to determine its relationship to service. The claim also includes a secondary service connection claim due to his service-connected generalized anxiety disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for left knee strain, obstructive sleep apnea, atopic dermatitis, chronic rhinitis, and chronic sinusitis due to insufficient medical opinions addressing all theories of entitlement. The Veteran's conditions are now considered significantly worsened.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.