• Zhengwei Zhang, Xiaona Bao, Zhifeng Wu, and Jie Zhang.
• Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, P.R. China.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Feb 19; 100 (7): e24790e24790.

RationaleHalf-dose or reduced-fluence photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin has been well acknowledged to be the most effective and permanent treatment with very low rates of complications. However, we report a case of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) who developed choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to half-dose PDT within only 3 weeks. Such an occurrence following this short a course of treatment has not been reported previously.Patient ConcernsA 46-year-old Chinese man who had been diagnosed as acute more than 1 year ago revisited our department recently and complained of blurred vision again in his left eye.DiagnosesFluorescein fundus angiography (FFA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) revealed patchy hyperfluorescent dots and optical coherence tomography (OCT) indicated irregular flat pigment epithelium detachment (PED) in the central macula. The patient was diagnosed with chronic CSC.InterventionsThe patient was treated by half-dose PDT with verteporfin. Three weeks later, the patient complained of sudden blurred vision and fundus examination showed macular hemorrhages with a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/250. OCT angiography (OCTA) showed a distinct area of flower-like CNV located within the deep retinal slab. Secondary CNV had developed after a quite short course of half-dose PDT treatment. Subsequently, the patient was administered by 2 intravitreal injections of aflibercept (2 mg).OutcomesTwo months after the second intravitreal injection, macular hemorrhages and secondary CNV were completely resolved, and the BCVA improved to 20/25.LessonsPatients of chronic CSC with irregular PED who undergo PDT should be warned of secondary CNV within a short course after treatment. If happened, it should be treated by intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents as soon as possible.Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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