Moxifloxacin, ciprofloxacin connected to uveitis risk

Vancouver, Canada-A recent study published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that current use of moxifloxacin (Avelox, Bayer) or ciprofloxacin (Cipro, Bayer) appears to increase the risk for uveitis.

Ocular complications caused by systemic medication may fly under the radar

Researchers conducted a case-control study within a cohort of men ages 40 to 85 followed up from January 2001 through December 2011 and all cases with a new diagnosis of uveitis were identified. For each case, 10 control subjects were matched by age, cohort entry date, and follow-up duration. For identified uveitis cases, current use of the fluoroquinolones moxifloxacin, levofloxacin (Levaquin, Johnson & Johnson), or ciprofloxacin hydrochloride was compared with nonuse. Researchers identified 13,313 uveitis cases and 133,130 corresponding controls.

The results show that, when compared with nonusers of fluoroquinolones, current first-time users of moxifloxacin demonstrated the highest risk for uveitis. Current first-time users of ciprofloxacin showed an increased risk for uveitis, while current first-time users of levofloxacin did not show a significant association with uveitis.