A Case of Coats’ Disease with Spontaneous Retinal Reattachment after Total Detachment

PURPOSE: To report a case of Coats’ disease in which spontaneous reattachment occurred after total retinal detachment. PATIENT AND METHODS: A young boy (patient age: 4 years and 11 months) presented with leukocoria in the left eye. Slit-lamp examination revealed total retinal detachment with abnormal retinal blood vessels and subretinal exudation just behind the lens. Computed tomography imaging showed no solid mass lesion in the intraocular space. Secondary total retinal detachment as a complication of Coats’ disease was diagnosed. No light perception was detected, so we determined that surgical treatment was not indicated. RESULTS: Four months after the initial diagnosis, the retina showed complete reattachment with a large amount of subretinal hard exudate. Visual acuity remained unchanged, with no light perception. CONCLUSIONS: We speculate that the spontaneous retinal reattachment in the present case was caused by the decreased permeability of the abnormal retinal vessels and the good functional effect of the retinal pigment epithelium.