Question: What is (are) Coats disease ?
Answer: Coats disease is an eye disorder characterized by abnormal development of the blood vessels in the retina (retinal telangiectasia). Most affected people begin showing symptoms of the condition in childhood. Early signs and symptoms vary but may include vision loss, crossed eyes (strabismus), and a white mass in the pupil behind the lens of the eye (leukocoria). Overtime, coats disease may also lead to retinal detachment, glaucoma, and clouding of the lens of the eye (cataracts) as the disease progresses. In most cases, only one eye is affected (unilateral). The exact underlying cause is not known but some cases may be due to somatic mutations in the NDP gene. Treatment depends on the symptoms present and may include cryotherapy, laser therapy, and/or surgery.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the symptoms of Coats disease ?
Answer: What are the signs and symptoms of Coats disease? The signs and symptoms of Coats disease typically begin at an early age (between ages 6 and 8). Some people may only have a few or no symptoms, while others are very severely affected. The condition is almost always progressive (symptoms get worse over time), although alternating periods of sudden worsening with periods of no apparent progression are common. Early signs and symptoms may include loss of vision, crossed eyes (strabismus), and/or the development of a white mass in the pupil behind the lens of the eye (leukocoria). As the disease progresses, affected people may develop glaucoma; cataracts; reddish discoloration in the iris (rubeosis iridis or neovascular glaucoma); shrinking of the affected eyeball (phthisis bulbi); and/or swelling and irritation of the middle layer of the eye (uveitis). The majority of affected people eventually experience profound vision loss and retinal detachment. The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Coats disease. If the information is available, the table below includes how often the symptom is seen in people with this condition. You can use the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary to look up the definitions for these medical terms. Signs and Symptoms Approximate number of patients (when available) Abnormality of the retinal vasculature 90% Strabismus 90% Abnormality of the macula 50% Glaucoma 50% Retinal detachment 50% Abnormality of the anterior chamber 7.5% Aplasia/Hypoplasia of the iris 7.5% Cataract 7.5% Visual impairment 7.5% The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) has collected information on how often a sign or symptom occurs in a condition. Much of this information comes from Orphanet, a European rare disease database. The frequency of a sign or symptom is usually listed as a rough estimate of the percentage of patients who have that feature. The frequency may also be listed as a fraction. The first number of the fraction is how many people had the symptom, and the second number is the total number of people who were examined in one study. For example, a frequency of 25/25 means that in a study of 25 people all patients were found to have that symptom. Because these frequencies are based on a specific study, the fractions may be different if another group of patients are examined. Sometimes, no information on frequency is available. In these cases, the sign or symptom may be rare or common.
Source: GARD

Question: What causes Coats disease ?
Answer: What causes Coats disease? The exact cause of Coats disease is not currently known. However, it is a reported feature of several different genetic syndromes, suggesting there may be a genetic component.[4716] Researchers believe that some cases of Coats disease may be due to somatic mutations in the NDP gene, which lead to deficient levels of a protein called norrin in the developing retina. A somatic mutation in this case is one that is acquired after conception (i.e. it was not inherited from a parent and cannot be passed on to an affected person's children).
Source: GARD

Question: Is Coats disease inherited ?
Answer: How is Coats disease inherited? In most cases, Coats disease is not inherited. Eighty to 90% of affected people have no evidence of a genetic predisposition to the condition and no affected family members. Rarely, Coats disease can be inherited as a feature of several different genetic syndromes. For example, Coats disease has been reported in people with Senior-Loken syndrome and is a key symptom of a condition called Coats plus syndrome, which is characterized by Coats disease plus abnormalities of the brain, bones, gastrointestinal system, and other parts of the body. Both of these conditions are inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.
Source: GARD

Question: How to diagnose Coats disease ?
Answer: Is genetic testing available for Coats disease? Genetic testing is not available for most cases of Coats disease. Eighty to 90% of affected people have no evidence of a genetic predisposition to the condition and no affected family members. Rarely, Coats disease can be inherited as a feature of several different genetic syndromes. For example, Coats disease has been reported in Senior-Loken syndrome, which is caused by changes (mutations) in one of several different genes, and Coats plus syndrome, which is caused by mutations in CTC1. Genetic testing is often an option for people affected by one of these conditions. How is Coats disease diagnosed? A diagnosis of Coats disease is often suspected based on the presense of characteristic signs and symptoms on thorough eye examination. Retinal fluorescein angiography, an imaging technique that uses a special dye and camera to look at blood flow in the retina, may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT scan) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scan) are often performed to distinguish Coats disease from other conditions that affect the retina.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the treatments for Coats disease ?
Answer: How might Coats disease be treated? The treatment of Coats disease depends on the signs and symptoms present in each person. Treatment is usually directed towards destroying affected blood vessels in the retina and salvaging as much vision as possible. A procedure that uses extreme cold to destroy abnormal blood vessels (cryotherapy), and/or a procedure that uses laser energy to heat and destroy abnormal tissue (photocoagulation) are often used singly or in combination. These procedures are typically used during the early stages of the disease along with steroids and other medications to control inflammation and leaking from blood vessels. More advanced cases may require surgical treatment. For example, surgery to reattach the retina may be necessary in cases of retinal detachment. Draining or surgically removing the fluids that fill the eyeball between the lens and the retina (vitrectomy) may also be used to treat Coats disease when retinal detachment is present.
Source: GARD