A Case of Coats Disease Diagnosed during Amblyopia Treatment

Coats disease is a rare, nonhereditary retinal disorder, and early detection and treatment are crucial for preserving visual function. This case report details a pediatric case where Coats disease was diagnosed during follow-up for amblyopia.

An 8-year-old boy with a history of bilateral hyperopic amblyopia and right congenital ptosis underwent eyeglass and occlusion therapy starting at age 2. By age 4, he had achieved good visual acuity. At a routine follow-up 4 years later, fundus examination revealed exudative lesions in the left macula. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed macular hyperreflective lesions and the thickened choroid in his left eye, leading to a diagnosis of Coats disease. The patient was treated with retinal photocoagulation. Ten months after treatment, his visual acuity remained stable, and a follow-up OCT showed a reduction in the hyperreflective lesions in the outer macular layers.

Routine dilated fundus examinations and OCT-based retro-choroidal morphology for anisometropic amblyopia facilitated early detection and timely intervention for Coats disease, which lacks overt symptoms in its early stages. This case highlights the importance of retinal monitoring in amblyopic eyes to preserve visual function.