Citation Nr: 21010858 Decision Date: 02/25/21 Archive Date: 02/25/21 DOCKET NO. 20-23 804 DATE: February 25, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for a skin disability, to include pseudofolliculitis barbae, folliculitis decalvans, and alopecia is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty in the United States Air Force from April 2006 to June 2014, including service in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations. This case comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a September 2016 rating decision issued by a Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO), in which denied service connection for, inter alia, pseudofolliculitis barbae (skin disability). The Veteran filed a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD), received in July 2017. A Statement of the Case (SOC) was issued in February 2020. A timely substantive appeal was received in March 2020 in which the Veteran limited his appeal to the issue of entitlement to service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae (skin disability). 1. Entitlement to service connection for a skin disability, to include pseudofolliculitis barbae, folliculitis decalvans, and alopecia is remanded. The Veteran contends that he has a skin disability which should be service connected. After a review of the evidence of record, the Board notes that further development is necessary prior to adjudicating this claim. The Board notes that no medical opinion has been provided addressing the etiology of the Veteran’s skin disabilities. His treatment records do indicate that he was diagnosed with pseudofolliculitis barbae and folliculitis decalvans while on active duty service. Service connection was, however, denied because post-service treatment records do not show a diagnosis of pseudofolliculitis barbae. Considering that the Veteran was diagnosed with a skin disability in service, to include pseudofolliculitis barbae, and the proximity in time from discharge from service to when the Veteran filed a claim for service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae, the Board finds that there is an indication of a medical link between the Veteran’s disability and his active service and finds that a VA examination should be obtained to address the nature and etiology of any skin disability. See McLendon v. Nicholson, 20 Vet. App. 79, 81 (2006). On remand, the examiner should diagnose any and all dermatological disabilities and attempt to elicit information from the Veteran as to how soon after entering active duty service he noticed the development of any diagnosed disability. The matter is REMANDED for the following action: 1. Schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the nature and etiology of any dermatological disabilities present, to include pseudofolliculitis barbae, folliculitis decalvans and alopecia. The examiner should attempt to elicit information from the Veteran as to when his dermatological symptoms developed. After reviewing the claims file and examining the Veteran, the examiner should delineate all dermatological disabilities present. If pseudofolliculitis barbae, folliculitis decalvans or alopecia is not diagnosed, an explanation should be provided. The examiner should also address whether any of the Veteran’s symptoms are at least as likely as not a manifestation of an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness. For each dermatological diagnosis rendered, the examiner should provide an opinion as to whether it is at least as likely as not that such was incurred in service or is otherwise causally related to the Veteran’s active service or any incident therein, to include service in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations. A clear rationale for all opinions would be helpful and a discussion of the facts and medical principles involved would be of considerable assistance to the Board. In providing the requested opinions, the clinician should consider the Veteran’s reported symptoms in service and thereafter, including the nature, onset, progression and severity of the Veteran’s competently reported symptoms. (Continued on the next page)   If there is any medical reason to accept or reject the proposition that a dermatological disability was incurred in service or is otherwise causally related to service, including exposures in Southwest Asia, this should be noted. Stated another way, do the Veteran’s reports about his symptoms align with how the Veteran’s diagnosed skin disabilities are known to develop or are the Veteran’s reports generally inconsistent with medical knowledge or implausible? KRISTIN E. NEILSON Acting Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board S.D. Hobbs, Associate Counsel The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.