Coats' Eye Disease

Coats' eye disease is a rare condition that results in a gradual loss of vision, usually in one eye. The causes of Coats' disease are not understood, but there are some treatments that halt or reverse the progression of the disease in some patients, the Royal National Institute of Blind People reports.

Time Frame

• Coats' disease usually develops in children during the first 10 years of life, according to the Royal National Institute of Blind People.

Symptoms

• The most common symptoms of Coats' disease is the loss of vision either at the center of the eye, causing a doughnut type effect, or at the edges, resulting in a loss of peripheral vision. Eye pain is possible as the disease progresses.

Risks

• As Coats' disease progresses, it can lead to retinal detachment or the separation of the retina from the rest of the eye, which causes blindness. There also is a possibility that pressure will increase within the eye, leading to glaucoma, CoatsDisease.org reports.

Treatment

• Laser treatments are sometimes effective at treating Coats' disease during the early stages, while light or freezing procedures might be used for more advanced cases.

Prognosis

• The earlier Coats' disease is diagnosed and treated, the better the prognosis for the patient and the greater the likelihood of preventing permanent blindness in the affected eye. In some cases, Coats' disease stops on its own and does not lead to retinal detachment, though doctors do not understand why, the Royal National Institute of Blind People reports.