Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to errors in notice and duty to assist.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinea corporis was granted with an effective date of November 21, 2021. Since the Veteran was discharged from active duty on that same day, his appeal is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) is denied due to the lack of characteristic lesions involving at least 5 percent of his entire body or exposed areas.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED), depression, and anxiety are remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae is rated at 30 percent, which does not meet his claim for an increased rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of PTSD, degenerative arthritis of the spine with lumbosacral strain, tension headaches, status-post left inguinal herniorrhaphy, costochondritis, and PFB and bilateral paronychia. The effective dates assigned in September 2016 were not challenged within one year.

The claims for acne and pseudofolliculitis barbae are remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The right ankle, left ankle, right knee, and right hip disabilities are also remanded due to a need for an addendum opinion addressing the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's rating for dermatitis with xerosis cutis and discoid lupus erythematosus was reduced from 60 percent to 10 percent. The appeal is granted, restoring the 60 percent rating effective January 1, 2023.

The Veteran's service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was denied. The Board found that the current disability neither occurred in nor was caused by service.,A separate 10 percent rating for left knee limitation of flexion is granted, but a rating above 10 percent for limitation of extension is denied.

The Board has denied service connection for eczema and high blood pressure, both secondary to PTSD with alcohol use disorder. The claim for sleep apnea is remanded, as the evidence does not clearly indicate a diagnosis or etiology.,Service connection for the neck condition is also remanded due to insufficient information provided in the Veteran's claims file.

The appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a skin condition other than tinea pedis, tinnitus, left groin strain, right hip condition, and right knee condition are all denied as there is no evidence of the claimed conditions during or after service.,For the remaining issues, the Board has found that further development is needed due to potential exposure to toxic substances.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a skin disorder, migraines, DM, PN of RLE, and PN of LLE. The claims are REMANDED to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus disability is rated at 10 percent, and a higher rating is not warranted. The claims for left shin splints, right shin splints, left ankle sprain, right ankle sprain, onychomycosis (right foot), onychomycosis (left foot), and right knee condition are all remanded for further development.

The Veteran's tinea pedis of the left and right feet had its onset in active service, and the Board has granted entitlement to service connection for these conditions. The claim for a left ankle condition is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from substantially gainful employment, and the Board denied his claim for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).