ERS Monograph: The Nose and Sinuses in Respiratory Disorders Edited by Claus Bachert, Arnaud Bourdin and Pascal Chanez
The respiratory tract is conventionally divided into the upper and lower airways. Although the two airways have distinct functions and are managed by different specialists, they also share many physiological and immunological characteristics. Problems of the nose and sinuses can impact on the lungs; conversely, lower respiratory tract disorders can affect the upper airways. This has given rise to the concept of “united airways disease”, and understanding the relationships between the mechanisms, epidemiology and treatment of upper and lower airways disorders is crucial as new therapeutic options become available. This ERS Monograph presents a comprehensive overview of the nose and sinuses in respiratory disorders, starting with chapters covering basic anatomy, histology and immunology, together with recent developments in imaging techniques and practical clinical examination. Other chapters focus on specific associations with cystic fibrosis (CF), infection and exacerbations, nasal polyposis and asthma, COPD, non-CF bronchiectasis and primary ciliary dyskinesia, and air pollution in chronic diseases. The “united airways” are further discussed in terms of the impact of optimal upper airways treatment on lower airways inflammation and current guidelines to aid all physicians, especially ENT specialists and chest physicians, in clinical practice.

ERS members: cast your vote in the 2017 leadership elections
Voting is now open to elect the next ERS Vice President and Advocacy Chair Elect. Voting is open to ERS members only and will close on September 12, 2017 at 14:00 CET. The successful candidates will be announced at the ERS General Assembly Meeting, which takes place at the ERS International Congress in Milan. All ERS members are encouraged to vote.
Find out about the candidates and vote now https://www.ersnet.org/the-society/who-we-are/leadership/ers-elections
ERS International Congress: registration now open
We are excited to announce that registration for this year's ERS International Congress is now open and if you register before July 5, 2017, you will benefit from an early-bird discount. This year the Congress will take place in Milan, Italy, on September 9-13, 2017. Continuing the standards of previous years and retaining the position as the world's largest meeting for respiratory physicians, scientists and allied health professionals, we will feature over 350 scientific sessions, around 75 educational sessions. We will also welcome the return of our award-winning live endoscopy.
This year's event promises something for everyone and will provide all the latest advancements in the respiratory field.
Visit the Congress website (https://erscongress.org/) to find out more about the registration options and browse the advance programme.
A wide range of ERS books, including the ERS Monographs, ERS Handbooks and European Lung White Book, are available online at www.ersbookshop.com and www.erspublications.com
- ©ERS 2017
Breathe articles are open access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Licence 4.0.