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Coats' Disease
- Severe form of retinal telangiectasia
- Typically presents in the first decade; average age 5
Clinical Features
- Signs:
- Telangiectatic vessels that appear as small, red "light bulbs" in the retinal periphery
- Most often located in the inferior and temporal quadrants between the equator and ora serrata
- Intraretinal and subretinal yellow exudation often affecting areas distant from the vascular abnormalities
- Hard exudates commonly present in the posterior pole
- Leukocoria in patients who present with extensive subretinal exudation
- Ultrasonography is useful to exclude retinoblastoma
Differential Diagnosis
- Retinal capillary angiomatosis or hemangioma
- Late onset retinoblastoma
- Toxocara endophthalmitis
- Retinopathy of prematurity
- Familial Exudative Retinopathy
- Persistent primary hyperplastic vitreous
Management
- Cryotheraphy
- Laser photocoagulation to the telangiectatic vessels
- In advanced cases with total serous retinal detachment, external drainage of subretinal fluid and scleral buckling may be an option
- Poor visual prognosis in cases of massive exudation
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