Background Children with allergic diseases such as asthma and atopic dermatitis experience increased gastrointestinal symptoms. Further, physiological and histological abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract in patients with allergic diseases have been reported. It is not certain whether adult patients experience increased gastrointestinal symptoms. Methods A retrospective, case–control study of 7235 adult (⩾20 years old) primary care patients was conducted. A general practitioner diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome was used to serve as a marker of lower gastrointestinal symptoms. The prevalence of lower gastrointestinal symptoms was calculated in patients with asthma or allergic rhinitis and compared with that in patients with other chronic diseases (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis) and with the remaining population. Results Gastrointestinal symptoms were significantly more common in patients with asthma (9.9%) as compared with patients with chronic diseases (4.9%; odds ratio (OR) 2.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39 to 2.56; p<0.002) or the remaining non-asthmatic population (5.5%; OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.56; p<0.001). Gastrointestinal symptoms were also significantly more common in patients with allergic rhinitis (7.9%) as compared with patients with chronic diseases (4.9%; OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.7; p<0.05) and the remaining population (5.5%; OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.1; p<0.02). This phenomenon was independent of age, sex and inhaled asthma therapy in the case of patients with asthma. Conclusions Our findings support the hypothesis that lower gastrointestinal symptoms are more common in patients with allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis.

In this study, sinus disease was the commonest cause of orbital cellulitis, with the commonest organism being Streptococcus milleri. Only 50 per cent of cases with proven disease had had a raised white cell count; this is therefore not a very sensitive test.

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Treatment of laryngopharyngeal reflux with twice daily proton pump inhibitors and speech therapy resulted in improved subjective voice measurements for patients.

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Objective To compare two dimensional (2D), three-dimensional (3D) non–high-definition (HD), and 3D HD endoscopic surgical techniques. Methods We describe our initial operative experience with a novel 3D HD endoscopic endonasal approach involving a pituitary adenoma resection, provide a case series, and review the current literature. This is the first case in Europe using the new 3D HD endoscope. Results Although research evidence remains limited, there are no significant negative perioperative or postoperative outcomes when compared with 2D endoscopic techniques. In our experience the narrow operating corridors of endoscopic surgery cannot be addressed with 3D endoscopic techniques. The new 3D HD endoscope creates imaging quality similar to conventional 2D HD systems. Conclusion Three-dimensional endoscopic endonasal techniques provide an exciting new avenue, effectively addressing potential depth perception difficulties with current 2D systems.