Internet resources in Otolaryngology - Head and neck surgery

The mother of a 6-year-old boy living in a rural area used the Internet to find a pediatric otolaryngologist who could see her child, who was sufferin g from progressive hoarseness. The child was examined, and a laryngeal papi lloma was identified, leading to a series of laser surgeries. The mother an d surgeon exchanged e-mails about the child's condition during his treatmen t, and the correspondence was entered in the medical chart. The mother also joined an online support group for parents of children with this condition . After the papilloma progressed to airway obstruction, the treating otolar yngologist performed a MEDLINE search and found a favorable initial report from a group using an experimental indole compound for patients unresponsiv e to conventional therapy. The child entered into a trial, and his conditio n was monitored through ongoing e-mail contact with the mother.