Management of moderate to advanced Coats' disease

Sixteen patients (16 eyes) with Coats' disease who had either total bullous exudative retinal detachment or macular involvement and/or at least two quadrants of exudative retinal detachment were followed for a mean period of 60.6 months. Three patients with no light perception received no treatment. Ten eyes received cryotherapy on one or more occasions and two had laser photocoagulation. One eye underwent subretinal fluid drainage, intraocular infusion and cryotherapy. In those patients who could be tested, all the treated eyes retained their initial visual acuities. All 16 eyes had an acceptable cosmesis and none progressed to painful neovascular glaucoma or phthisis bulbi. Patients with late onset disease had a more benign course.