September 16, 2004

Vol. 351 No. 12

Perspective

Original Articles

Talking about Death with Children Who Have Severe Malignant Disease
U. Kreicbergs, U. Valdimarsdóttir, E. Onelöv, J.-I. Henter, and G. Steineck
1175-1186
Corneal Reconstruction with Tissue-Engineered Cell Sheets Composed of Autologous Oral Mucosal Epithelium
K. Nishida and Others
Four patients with severe corneal opacification and resultant visual loss had bilateral total corneal stem-cell deficiency and underwent transplantation of autologous oral mucosal epithelial cells in carrier-free cell sheets to reconstruct their corneal surfaces. All four patients (four eyes) had restoration of corneal transparency and improvement in visual acuity. Corneal reconstruction with tissue-engineered cell sheets composed of autologous oral mucosal epithelium has the potential to restore vision in patients with severe bilateral ocular-surface disorders.1187-1196
Radiofrequency Ablation in Children with Asymptomatic Wolff–Parkinson–White Syndrome
C. Pappone and Others
1197-1205
Peginterferon Alfa-2a Alone, Lamivudine Alone, and the Two in Combination in Patients with HBeAg-Negative Chronic Hepatitis B
P. Marcellin and Others
Among patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)–negative chronic hepatitis B, the rates of suppression of hepatitis B virus DNA to below 20,000 copies per milliliter were 43 percent with peginterferon alfa-2a alone, 44 percent with peginterferon alfa-2a plus lamivudine, and 29 percent with lamivudine alone after 48 weeks of treatment and 24 weeks of follow-up; the rates of suppression to below 400 copies per milliliter were 19 percent, 20 percent, and 7 percent, respectively.1206-1217

Review Articles

Images in Clinical Medicine

Case Records of the Massachusetts General Hospital

Case 29-2004 — A 75-Year-Old Woman with Acute Onset of Chest Pain Followed by Fever
A.W. Karchmer, D.F. Torchiana, C.U. Chae, N.A. Afridi, and S.L. Houser
A 75-year-old woman with a history of aortic-valve stenosis and coronary artery disease awoke in the night with chest pain. The electrocardiogram showed ST-segment depression, and the troponin T levels were elevated. The chest pain resolved, but fever developed. Blood cultures were positive for the Streptococcus milleri group; fever persisted despite antibiotic therapy. A cardiologist, an infectious-disease specialist, and a cardiac surgeon discuss the diagnosis and management of this case.1240-1248

Editorials

Clinical Implications of Basic Research

Artificial Sweeteners — Enhancing Glycosylation to Treat Muscular Dystrophies
T.A. Rando
1254-1256

Correspondence

Book Reviews

Corrections