Impact of colour blindness on recognition of haematuria in bladder cancer patients

Abstract

Objective: Colour blindness might lead to failure in recognizing frank haematuria. Our aim is to investigate as to whether colour-blind males who develop bladder cancer present later with less favourable histology. Patients and Methods: Two hundred male patients with bladder cancer were assessed using Ishihara plate test for colour deficiency. Degree of haematuria, method of presentation and initial histologic findings were also determined. Results: Colour-blind patients who develop bladder cancer present with less favourable histology compared with non-colour-blind (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Colour blindness was associated with presentation with more advanced bladder tumours. © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.