Laboratory diagnosis of mycobacterial infections 255 Claudio Piersimoni Chapter 9 – Airway diseases Chronic rhinitis 261 Arnaud Bourdin and Pascal Chanez Asthma 264 Bianca Beghé, Leonardo M. Fabbri and Paul O’Byrne Vocal cord dysfunction 274 Adel H. Mansur Bronchitis 279 Gernot Rohde Gastro-oesophageal reflux 281 Lieven Dupont COPD and emphysema 287 Eleni G. Tzortaki and Nikolaos M. Siafakas Exacerbations of COPD 293 Alexander J. Mackay and Jadwiga A. Wedzicha Extrapulmonary effects of COPD 300 Yvonne Nussbaumer-Ochsner and Klaus F. Rabe Pharmacology of asthma and COPD 304 Peter J. Barnes Bronchiectasis 311 Nick ten Hacken