Allergic rhinitis is one of the most common chronic conditions in childhood. It substantially affects patient quality of life, and its prevalence appears to be increasing. Here, Dr Shih-Wen Huang discusses issues related to diagnosis, including the risk factors, characteristic examination findings, causes, and allergy testing.

A 5-year-old boy with mild developmental delay was taken to the local emergency department with a 2-day history of abdominal pain and nonbloody, nonbilious emesis. Acute appendicitis was suspected. A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis revealed a 3-cm metallic foreign body in the intestines, with proximal bowel dilation and partial small bowel obstruction. The child was transferred to a tertiary care center for further evaluation.