title: Coats' Disease: Very Long-Term Outcome After Early Stage Conventional Treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report on the outcome of conventional therapy in patients with Coats' disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of the charts of thirteen patients with Coats' disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of 9 male (70%) and 4 female (30%) patients was 17.7 (range, 5-33) years; one female had bilateral disease. Eleven eyes with retinal telangiectasia and exudation were treated with argon laser photocoagulation alone or photocoagulation associated with cryotherapy; the mean follow up was 32.5 (range,17-41) years. In four eyes without foveal involvement (stage 2a) the mean presenting visual acuity (VA) remained at 0.8 or improved, whereas poor VA in seven stage 2b eyes deteriorated minimally over time. In one and two of the three eyes with total retinal detachment, phthisis or neovascular glaucoma ensued.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  About three decades after conventional treatment of Coats' disease stage 2a, treated eyes maintained good VA, and stage 2b eyes did not progress to advanced stages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sportiello
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierfrancesco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mirabelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierangela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cimatti
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Doro
keywords: Coats' disease; exudative retinopathy; neovascular glaucoma; retinal detachment; telangiectasia