ObjectiveTo study the effects and outcomes of green diode laser therapy under indirect ophthalmoscope in the treatment of juvenile Coats disease. MethodsNineteen juvenile Coats disease patients (19 eyes) well enrolled in this study. Average age at presentation was 73.5 months (27-146 months). Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was ≥0.1 in 7 eyes; 0.01 to 0.09 in 8 eyes; counting finger in 3 eyes and light perception in 1 eye. The macular of all eyes was involved. There were 3 eyes with macular exudative retinal detachment, 4 eyes with sub-macular fibrosis, 1 eye with macular atrophy. Exudative area was more than two quadrants in 17 eyes, and less than two quadrants in 2 eyes. The abnormal blood vessels located in the superior or nasal-superior retina (2 eyes) or inferior or temple-inferior area (17 eyes). Exudative retinal detachment occurred in 13 eyes, in which macular was not involved in 10 eyes, and macular was involved in 3 eyes. All patients were treated with green diode laser (532 nm) ablation therapy under general anesthesia and indirect ophthalmoscope to areas of the retina telangiectasia. 3 patients received a single intravitreal 2 mg triamcinolone injection (IVTA). Average follow-up was 18.5 months (6-51 months). Main outcome measures included visual acuity, retinal vascular abnormalities, subretinal exudates and exudative retinal detachment. ResultsAmong 3 patients treated with IVTA, one needed cataract extraction and one needed pre-retinal membrane peeling surgery. After laser photocoagulation, resolution of telangiectasia lesions was achieved in all patients at the end of follow-up. Exudation was resolved in 8 eyes, reduced in 9 patients and no change in 2 eyes. Exudative detachment was resolved in 8/13 eyes, reduced in area in 3/13 eyes and no change in 2 eyes. There were 9 eyes with sub-macular fibrosis and 3 eyes with macular atrophy at the end of follow-up. The visual acuity was stable in most cases. BCVA was ≥0.1 in 6 eyes; 0.01 to 0.09 in 11 eyes; counting finger in 1 eyes and light perception in 1 eye. Compared to the normal eyes, eyes with Coats disease tended to be more hyperopic (t=3.6,P=0.003) and astigmatic (t=3.6, P=0.004), but no correction were needed for these refractive errors. ConclusionsGreen diode laser therapy under indirect ophthalmoscope can be an effective treatment for juvenile Coats disease with little complications. IVTA can be helpful, but must be used with cautions as it can induce some complications.
ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy of intravitreal injection of ranibizumab (IVR) and combined treatment for severe Coats disease. MethodsNineteen Coats disease patients (24 eyes) were enrolled in this retrospective non-comparative interventional clinical study. The patients included 17 males and 2 females. The age was ranged from 1 to 42 years old, with an average of (13.05±6.78) years. The patients included 15 children (age ≤14 years old) and 4 adults (age ≥18 years old). There were 13 patients with 3a stage and 6 patients with 3b stage. The treatment methods including IVR only, IVR combined with cryotherapy, IVR combined with cryotherapy and sclerotomy to drain subretinal fluid, IVR combined with vitrectomy. Treatments were repeated if it was necessary at the first day, the first week and the first month after injection. The interval between treatments was ≥1 month. Eleven patients (57.9%) underwent one treatment, 3 patients (15.8%) underwent 2 treatments, 3 patients (15.8%) underwent 3 treatments, 2 patients (10.5%) underwent 4 treatments. The treatment frequency including 22 times of IVR only, 6 times of IVR combined with cryotherapy, 5 times of IVR combined with cryotherapy and sclerotomy to drain subretinal fluid, 1 time of IVR combined with vitrectomy. The follow-up period was ranged from 6 to 36 months, with an average of (19.11±7.05) months. Visual acuity, retinal reattachment and ocular adverse events were observed. ResultsThree children (15.8%) were failing to test the visual acuity. Visual acuity was improved in 2 patients (10.5%), stable in 13 patients (68.4%) and decreased in 1 patient (5.3%). Three patients (15.8%) achieved totally retinal reattachment after treatment, while 16 patients (84.2%) achieved partially retinal reattachment. One patient had vitreous hemorrhage. One patient had neovascular glaucoma. ConclusionIVR and combined treatment were effective for severe Coats disease.
ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy of adjuvant intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy for advanced Coats disease. MethodsThis study is a retrospective case series study. Fourteen patients (14 eyes), presenting Coats Stages 3B and 4 (8 and 6 eyes, respectively) were enrolled. All the patients were treated with adjuvant intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy. The intravitreal anti-VEGF injections varied from 1 to 7, with a median injections of 2.14. In 14 eyes, combined therapy was subretinal fluid drainage in 4 eyes, photocoagulation in 2 eyes, vitrectomy in 8 eyes. The follow-up period was ranged from 4 to 36 months, with a median follow-up of 18.8 months. Visual acuity and retinal reattachment were observed in follow up. ResultsAt last follow up, global suvival was 100.0% with no enucleation performed in any patient because of disease progression. Except for 2 children who were unable to cope with the visual acuity test, visual acuity was improved in 2 patients, stable in 8 patients, and decreased in 2 patients. 5 patients (35.7%) achieved in complete retinal reattachment, 3 patients (21.4%) were succeed in partial retinal reattachment, and the remain 6 patients(42.8%) failed in retinal reattachment. Two patients developed cataract after vitrectomy, and no other adverse reaction was observed during follow-up. ConclusionAnti-VEGF therapy combined with classic treatments in advanced Coats disease can keep or impove the visual acuity in most patients by reducing of subretinal exudation.
Adult Coats disease is characterized by abnormal expansion of retinal capillaries, often accompanied by massive lipid exudation and exudative retinal detachment. Unlike Coats disease in young children, adult Coats disease is mostly limited to peripheral retina, with slow progress and better prognosis. Adult Coats disease should be identified with Coats-like diseases such as exudative age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, obsolete retinal vein occlusion, idiopathic macular telangiectasia 1, obsolete posterior uveitis, retinal vasculitis, or acute retinal necrosis. Because the pathogenesis of Coats disease is not clear, it lacks specific treatment measures for the cause of disease. The purpose of simple or combined laser photocoagulation, freezing, vitreous intravitreal injection against vascular endothelial growth factor drugs or triamcinolone and surgery is to eliminate abnormal blood vessels and exudation, maintain visual function, which can also improve retinal detachment and prevent neovascular glaucoma and other complications. To explore the similarities and differences of adult Coats disease with Coats disease in young children, to further promote the study of the pathogenesis of adult Coats disease and to provide new targets for its treatment are the direction of future research.
Retinopathy of prematurity, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy and Coats disease are the most common neonates and infants retinal vascular diseases, which may lead to severe visual damage because of either tractional retinal detachment caused by the proliferation of pathogenic neovascularization, or exudative retinal detachment due to the extremely leakage from abnormal retinal vessels. Classic treatment is retinal laser photocoagulation which could destroy these abnormal vessels or reduce non vascular areas to diminish the growth of new vessels, however the side effects induced by laser it self such as visual field damage, hemorrhage, retinal tear, fail to control the progression of the disease make the laser treatment hard to improve the vision of these young patients. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents have been widely applied in various adult retinal and choroidal vascular diseases, they are even possible to replace the pan retinal photocoagulation in proliferative diabetic retinopathy, while there are still many unsolved problems in the applying in neonates and infants retinal vascular diseases, like dosage, timing, retreatment and systemic side effects. We should realize the importance of selecting the laser photocoagulation and anti-VEGF for neonates and infants retinal vascular diseases.