Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis) decisions — 2010

The Veteran seeks service connection for a skin disorder, including eczema and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (skin cancer), claimed as due to radiation exposure. The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining treatment records from private providers and forwarding all relevant records to the Under Secretary for Health for preparation of a dose estimate based on available methodologies.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic rash and a right lung disorder, including as due to exposure to herbicides, are denied. The Board found no evidence of such conditions during service or that they were related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder, claimed as acne, is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has provided lay statements indicating he had acne since his service in Vietnam and that it worsened after his service in Southwest Asia. The clinical evidence establishes that 40 percent of the exposed area of the Veteran's body is affected by acne, pruritis, or residuals of acne.

The Board is remanding the claims for higher ratings for dermatitis, diabetic neuropathy of the lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction (ED), as well as for a TDIU to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC) in Washington, DC, for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ankle disability, a compensable initial evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, and a rating in excess of 60 percent for tinea versicolor were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support the presence of a left ankle disorder during service or within one year after separation from service, and thus could not be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the issues have been dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, prostate condition (chronic urethritis and residuals of urinary tract infection), neck disability, and chronic skin disability (tinea cruris of the groin and lichens simplex chronicus of the lower abdomen). The Veteran's claims were based on direct evidence rather than a presumption or secondary relationship.

The Veteran's atopic dermatitis affects less than 20 percent of his skin and less than 20 percent of exposed areas, with no systemic therapy required. The Board found the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected pityriasis versicolor caused his seborrheic keratosis of the upper extremities and granted service connection for this condition. The right foot disability was also found to be related to service, with a rating assigned.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding her service-connected atopic dermatitis, as well as the secondary service connection claim for menstrual migraine headaches. The claims will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board found that the Veteran's varicose veins were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and denied his claims for increased ratings for chronic cystic acne and right shoulder disability.

The VA denied a rating in excess of 10% for the veteran's acne and eczema, finding that the symptoms did not meet criteria for higher ratings under any applicable schedular criteria.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for right shoulder disability and dermatitis were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for residuals of an injury to the right hand with claimed resultant neurological disability was denied, and his claim for a higher evaluation for pseudofolliculitis barbae was also denied.

The Veteran's seborrheic dermatitis was found to have its onset during service and is therefore granted service connection. The Board did not find evidence of a qualifying chronic disability for IBS or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome under the presumptive provisions, as these conditions are not considered undiagnosed illnesses or medically unexplained multisymptom illnesses related to service in the Southwest Asia theater.