The Veteran's acne, left foot pes planus, and left eye peripheral pterygium were all found to be related to service. The right eye disability, gastroesophageal disability (GERD), intestinal disability (IBS), lower respiratory disability (pneumonia and bronchitis), sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression and anxiety), lumbar disability, left knee disability, left hand disability, right elbow disability, left elbow disability, right wrist disability, left wrist disability, right ankle disability, TMJ disability, head scars, right shin, right mid-foot and anterior dorsum of the right foot scars, and torso scar were not found to be related to service.,The Veteran's acne was found to have been aggravated by service. The left foot pes planus was also found to have been aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: Service connection is granted for acne, left foot pes planus, and left eye peripheral pterygium as these conditions are presumed to be related to service due to their preexisting nature at entry. The right eye disability, gastroesophageal disability (GERD), intestinal disability (IBS), lower respiratory disability (pneumonia and bronchitis), sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression and anxiety), lumbar disability, left knee disability, left hand disability, right elbow disability, left elbow disability, right wrist disability, left wrist disability, right ankle disability, TMJ disability, head scars, right shin, right mid-foot and anterior dorsum of the right foot scars, and torso scar were not found to be related to service due to lack of evidence showing a link between these conditions and service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acne, Left foot pes planus, Left eye peripheral pterygium
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 18, 2026
- Citation
- A26014675
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 A26014675.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for acne, finding that his pre-existing condition clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and was not aggravated by military service.
- Granted
The Veteran was found to be precluded from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to August 29, 2024 due to her service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The reduction in rating for other specified anxiety disorder from 30 to 10 percent, effective May 1, 2025 was improper and restoration of the prior 30 percent rating is granted.,The reduction of acne rating from 10 percent to zero percent was improper and restoration of the 10 percent rating is denied.,The reduction in rating for lumbosacral strain from 40 percent to 10 percent was improper and restoration of the 40 percent rating is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for right knee strain, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (radiculopathy), and left foot pes planus due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's service treatment records do not indicate a complaint or diagnosis of these conditions during service. A VA examination is needed to determine if there is a relationship between the current diagnoses and service.
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