Moxifloxacin: An Alternative to Ethambutol for the Treatment of Presumed Ocular Tuberculosis.

Objective: To present moxifloxacin as an alternative treatment option to ethambutol in an anti-tubercular therapy (ATT) regime in patients with presumed ocular tuberculosis (TB).

Methods: We identified all cases in our hospital referred for treatment of presumed ocular TB between 2009 and 2013. Age, gender, ophthalmic examination, blood tests, treatment regimens, adverse drug reactions, and outcomes were collected and analyzed for the patients who had moxifloxacin as part of their ATT.

Results: Forty-three cases of presumed ocular TB were treated with moxifloxacin as a part of ATT. Mean age was 44.18 ± 12.47 years; 62.8% were male. A response to treatment, with no evidence of disease recurrence, was seen in 72.1% of cases. Shortened ATT duration was associated with increased risk of treatment failure (p = 0.02, 95% CI: -0.77 to -0.00).

Conclusions: Moxifloxacin can be considered as a safe and effective alternative to ethambutol for the treatment of presumed ocular TB.