OBJECTIVE：Observing the clinical and pathological features of Coats disease. METHODS:Reviewing the clinical data and pathologic slides duly confirmed by pathology of 19 cases of Coats disease,which belonging to our college's Laboratory of Ophthalmologic Pathology from 1959 to 1994. RESULTS: 14 males,5 females,aged 1-18 years. More boys were affected than girls in the age group under 10 and that difference between both sexes became gradually less as they grew older. The main pathologic changes were the vascular dilatation and congestion of the outer layer of the retina,the uneven thickness of the vascular walls and the proliferation of the connective tissue. Retinal protuberance was seen in most of the advanced cases.with bleeding and vascular changes on its surfaces. The main pathologic changes were the detachment of retina and the appearance of many foam cells and crystals of cholesterol in the subretnal fluid,and calcification and ossification of the outer layer of the retina were found in some cases. CONCLUSION :Cytological examination of the subretinal fluid might be the liable method in differentiating between the Coats disease and retinoblatstoma. （Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis,1996,12: 157-159）