Retinal neovascularization complicating rhegmatogenous retinal detachment of long duration

Retinal neovascularization with angioma formation complicated the clinical courses of two patients (three eyes) with typical rhegmatogenous retinal detachment of long duration. The patients had fundus findings characteristic of old rhegmatogenous retinal detachments with neovascular tissue and subretinal exudation in the area of the detachment that resembled the findings in Coats' disease. All three retinas were successfully reattached with scleral buckling procedures combined with partial penetrating diathermy, perforating diathermy, and xenon arc photocoagulation to destroy the neovascular tissue.