PURPOSE: To report the profile of Coats' disease patients, referred to exclude retinoblastoma. METHODS: Retrospective study of medical charts from ten consecutive patients. Data evaluated include age at diagnosis, gender, chief complain, disease stage, treatment and evolution. RESULTS: Mean age at diagnosis was 43.9 months. Eight patients had stage 3B of the disease, one stage 3A and one 2B. From the eight patients with total retinal detachment (3B disease), seven were managed by observation one was submitted to unsuccessful retinopexy. The patient with partial retinal detachment (3A) was treated with cryotherapy followed by diode laser photocoagulation with resolution of the retinal detachment and obliteration of the abnormal vessels. The patient without retinal detachment (2B), was treated by argon laser photocoagulation with good obliteration of the abnormal vessels. Final visual acuity was light perception in 3 and no light perception in 5 out of the 8 patients with 3B disease, patients with 3A and 2B disease, retained hand motions vision. None of the patients developed neovascular glaucoma in a mean follow-up of 26.7 months. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of Coats' disease patient referred to exclude retinoblastoma diagnosis, have advanced disease. In these cases, due to the very poor visual prognosis and high complexity of surgical treatment, simple observation can be an option.
Retinal detachment; Retinal vessels; Glaucoma, neovascular
