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

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.