Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is characterized by serous neurosensory detachment of the macula and it usually resolves spontaneously with good visual prognosis. In some patients, however, the serous retinal detachment might be very extensive and a large amount of sub-retinal fluid can result in bullous exudative retinal detachment [1]. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin has been shown to be effective in the treatment of CSC but the use of conventional dosage of verteporfin (6 mg/m²) might be associated with complications such as iatrogenic choroidal neovascularization, diffuse retinal epithelial atrophy and more severe retinal thinning [2–4]. We report the use of half-dose (3 mg/m²) verteporfin PDT for treating a patient with the severe bullous form of CSC.

Bullous CSC is an uncommon form of CSC associated with a large amount of sub-retinal fluid. The visual prognosis of bullous CSC is generally poorer than those limited to the macula, as recurrence is common even after initial complete regression [1]. Traditional management options of bullous CSC include observation or thermal laser photocoagulation. However, previous studies have shown that the outcome of thermal laser photocoagulation is similar with the natural course of the disease in terms of disease duration and final visual acuity [1].

In recent years, PDT with verteporfin has been utilized for treating patients with CSC. However, full-dose PDT for treating CSC is not without complications, as retinal pigment epithelium atrophy, retinal thinning and choroidal neovascularization have been reported after PDT for chronic CSC [2–4]. In order to decrease the extent of collateral damage and the risk of adverse events, a reduced dose of verteporfin has been used to treat CSC, with the efficacy of PDT remained high [3, 5, 6].

To the best of our knowledge, the long-term outcome of half-dose PDT for bullous variant of CSC has not previously been reported. Our case demonstrated that this treatment is effective in reducing the bullous exudative retinal detachment and improving the patient's vision rapidly. Moreover, there was no evidence of any disease recurrence or complications after more than three years of follow-up. The reasons for the successful treatment outcome might be related to the idiopathic cause of the disease and intuition of early treatment in our patient. Although the longer term complications and recurrence rate remains unknown, half-dose verteporfin PDT for bullous CSC appeared to be an effective treatment option and might be considered as a management option for these patients.

Bullous exudative retinal detachment is an uncommon manifestation of CSC and can result in significant visual loss. Our patient demonstrated that half-dose verteporfin PDT is an effective treatment option for bullous CSC, resulting in rapid resolution of exudative retinal detachment and improvement in vision.

Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this manuscript and any accompanying images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal.