Financial Instruments and Concentration of Credit Risk - Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cost of capital			3.50%
Future expected contingent consideration related to the sale of discontinued operations	$ 36,600,000
Current value of contingent consideration	36,582,000		41,255,000
Accounts receivable	4,590,000		3,960,000
Laser Earn-Out Payment [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Accounts receivable	4,000,000	[1]
QLT USA and Eligard [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cost of capital	9.00%		8.00%
Increase in discount rate	1.00%
Decrease in contingent consideration due to increase in discount rates	200,000
Contingent Consideration Balance	36,400,000
Hypothetical decrease in revenue growth rate	10.00%
Impact of hypothetical decrease in revenue growth rate	300,000
Current value of contingent consideration	36,600,000
Amount of contingent consideration resulting from hypothetical decrease in revenue growth rate	$ 36,300,000

[1] Accounts receivable relates to a milestone payment owing from Valeant related to the receipt of the premarket approval application ("PMA") supplement for the Qcellus laser from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") on September 26, 2013. Refer to Note 10 - Contingent Consideration and Note 12 - Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale for more information.