Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2003

The Board has determined that additional development of evidence is needed, including obtaining VA treatment records for gout and scheduling the veteran for VA examinations to assess his bilateral pes valgo planus, tinea pedis with onychomycosis, and seborrheic dermatitis. The veteran may also be offered a personal hearing before a hearing officer at the RO.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for right foot tinea pedis, finding no evidence of a chronic condition during or after service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and chronic dermatitis.,Service connection for PTSD is deferred due to the grant of service connection for hypertension.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected acne with cysts warrants a disability rating of 30 percent, effective from the date of the March 2001 VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for dermatitis as due to exposure to Agent Orange, but granted an increased rating of 40% for his degenerative disc disease at L4-L5 and L5-S1 with radiculitis. The appeal is mixed.

The Board has granted service connection for eczema, but denied the other claims due to lack of evidence linking the current conditions to military service.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of generalized anxiety disorder, sinusitis, and pseudofolliculitis barbae were granted by the RO. The rating assigned for generalized anxiety disorder is 10 percent effective from March 1997.

The Board has determined that the veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae was initially manifested during service and continues to be symptomatic since then, warranting service connection.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected skin conditions (tinea manis, tinea pedis, tinea cruris, and tinea corporis with dermatophytosis) is being remanded due to the need for additional development including new VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to rate the veteran's skin disease under both old and new rating criteria.

The Board has ordered further development in the veteran's case, including obtaining additional medical records and conducting examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any currently diagnosed respiratory or psychiatric disability. The appeal is remanded for these purposes.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a neuropsychiatric disorder and an increased rating for his skin condition, finding that there was no evidence showing a psychiatric disability related to his service-connected skin condition. The clothing allowance claim is pending.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal in writing.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if the veteran's papular acne is related to his military service, including presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam and a previous episode of acne during service.

The Board has ordered further development in the veteran's case regarding increased evaluations for psoriasis and ulcerative colitis with peptic ulcer disease. The appeal is currently pending due to the need for additional evidence.