Coats disease: a lifetime disease.
To document the recurrent nature of Coats Disease. This study is a retrospective chart review approved by our Institutional Review Board. Thirteen patients (13 eyes) were diagnosed with Coats Disease starting in 1966. Age, visual acuity, time of onset, method of treatment, and the number and intervals of recurrences were documented. Recurrences were recorded once initial treatment proved successful and most exudates had absorbed. The length of follow-up for each patient and the most recent visual acuity was recorded. The average follow-up period for the 13 patients was 12.4 years with a range from 4.0 to 37.5 years. Eleven patients (85%) were male, two (15%) were female and all had unilateral involvement. The average age at diagnosis was 7.0 years with a range from 9 months to 27 years. Four out of the twelve treated patients (33%) had recurrences, and three of the four had multiple recurrences. The average elapsed time from successful treatment to the first recurrence was 4.3 years with a range from 3.3 to 5.4 years. The average number of recurrences was 3.3. Coats Disease can recur so it is important that parents educate any affected children regarding the necessity of follow-up, including throughout their adult years.