Assessment of Colour vision Changes in Tuberculosis Patients Receiving Anti TB Drug Moxifloxacin

Abstract

Purpose: To assess colour vision changes in tuberculosis (TB) patients receiving moxifloxacin.

Methodology: A prospective cohort study was conducted at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital over four months on 175 TB patients selected through purposive sampling technique. Colour vision was assessed using the Farnsworth D-15 test at baseline, 15 days, and 30 days after initiation of moxifloxacin therapy, alongside visual acuity and slit-lamp examination. Cochran's Q and McNemar tests were used to compare colour vision status across the three time points.

Result: Of 175 participants (60.0% male, mean age 36.09 ± 10.539 years), 31 (17.7%) had defective colour vision at baseline. This fell to 21 (12.0%) at 15 days and 13 (7.4%) at 30 days in the right eye, and to 21 (12.0%) and 17 (9.7%) respectively in the left eye. Cochran's Q testing confirmed a statistically significant overall change in both the right eye (Q = 20.33, p < 0.001) and left eye (Q = 17.333, p < 0.001). McNemar pairwise comparisons showed significant improvement from baseline to 15 days and baseline to 30 days (p < 0.05 for both eyes), while the change between 15 and 30 days was not significant (right eye p = 0.115; left eye p = 0.388), indicating an early plateau.

Conclusion: Colour vision defects in TB patients receiving moxifloxacin improved significantly within the first 15 days of therapy and remained stable thereafter, supporting a favorable ocular safety profile for moxifloxacin over the short term.