Fovea-sparing coats disease: A rare clinical entity

Abstract

Purpose:

To evaluate the rarity, clinical features and management of Coats disease characterized by fovea-sparing enhancing the importance of pediatric retinal screening and early management to maintain a good visual acuity.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of approximately 40 patients affected by Coats disease between 2000 and 2020 at the Retinoblastoma Referral Center and Ophthalmology unit of the University of Siena in Italy.

Results:

Two patients with fovea sparing Coats disease were included. Both presented an extrafoveal Coats disease (stage 2A by Shields classification) when they were 5 and 6 years old respectively.

They had no anterior findings and a presenting visual acuity of 20/20 reflecting the early stage and a milder phenotype of the disease which are indeed more likely to be found in patients older than 3 years at presentation.

Both presented telangiectasia and retinal exudation in the affected eye. Standard Argon laser photocoagulation and subsequently Cryotherapy were performed in the telangiectatic retinal periphery of both patients obtaining an excellent control and regression of the disease.

Conclusions:

Careful pediatric retinal screening and early management are crucial to ensure a good visual prognosis in such an early feature of Coats disease as fovea sparing since this condition unfortunately tends to recall the physician’s attention in more advanced stages.

Due to the extremely poor number of articles regarding such a rare feature of Coats disease like fovea sparing, we report our experience.