Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed skin conditions are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of their occurrence during active duty or a link to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an effective date earlier than March 16, 2022, for a 30 percent rating for his skin disability (eczema and furuncles), finding that no earlier evidence satisfied the criteria for this rating.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for chronic tinea pedis, xerosis, onychocryptosis, onychomycosis, and matricectomies of the bilateral feet is being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Veteran's cystic acne is granted as service-connected.,Left and right foot plantar fasciitis with calcaneal spurs are granted as service-connected.,Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) claim is remanded due to lack of VA examination.,Cholelithiasis and cholecystitis claims are remanded due to lack of VA examination.

The Veteran's dermatitis with dyshidrosis has not affected more than five percent of his total or exposed body areas and required only topical therapy, thus preventing an initial compensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for compensation pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for liver disability, increased ratings for right shoulder impingement syndrome, and allergic rhinitis and bilateral tinea pedis of the feet are remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted with an effective date of December 20, 2019.,Initial ratings were denied for bilateral hearing loss and chloracne.

The Veteran is seeking earlier effective dates for service connection of chloracne, acne vulgaris, and scarring from these conditions based on a claim of clear and unmistakable error (CUE). The Board has remanded the case to allow the RO to consider this issue.

The Veteran's appeals for an earlier effective date and a compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) are dismissed due to procedural issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his skin conditions due to incomplete records from his active duty period.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable initial rating for bilateral tinea pedis prior to November 30, 2016 is denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of the disability during this period.

The Veteran has withdrawn all five issues of service connection for various dermatitis and lump conditions from appeal.

The Board has determined that the VA did not substantially comply with its remand instructions and has therefore ordered a remanded for further development in both the tinea versicolor claim and the PTSD claim.

The Veteran's psoriasis is granted a maximum rating of 60 percent, effective from December 14, 2018. Service connection for hyperlipoproteinemia is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened and is granted. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's current disability raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for low back pain, PTSD, TBI with headaches and numbness of upper and lower extremities are remanded as there are no recent medical records to assess the severity of these conditions.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip pain, eczema, and muscle/joint pain due to an undiagnosed illness are remanded as VA opinions are inadequate. Further development is needed to determine if his disabilities qualify under presumptive provisions or if they are related to service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for right hip pain is remanded as the VA opinion of record was inadequate and did not address direct service connection, aggravation prong of secondary service connection, or provide a rationale based on medical literature.