Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38818880›Full record

ArticleAndrology2025

A comparison of ultrasound-based testis volume with Prader orchidometry and stability of testis size relative to peers from birth to 28 weeks.

Helen B Chin, Thomas H Amabile, Andrea Kelly, Stacy A Patchel, Kassa Darge, Summer L Kaplan, Eileen G Ford, Virginia A Stallings, Walter J Rogan, David M Umbach

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Andrology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Helen B ChinDepartment of Global and Community Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5090-6909
Thomas H AmabileDepartment of Global and Community Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA.
Andrea KellyPerelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Stacy A PatchelWestat Inc, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Kassa DargePerelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Summer L KaplanPerelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Eileen G FordDepartment of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Virginia A StallingsPerelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Walter J RoganEpidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
David M UmbachBiostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Funding

Institutional Clinical and Translational Science AwardUL1TR000003 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI FITZGERALD, GARRET A · 2012 to 2015
$38.9M
Estrogenicity Of Soy FormulaZIAES044006 · NIEHS · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES · PI ROGAN, WALTER · 2009 to 2015
$2.7M
Statistical Methods In Human Development/clinical StudiesZIAES049004 · NIEHS · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES · PI UMBACH, DAVID M · 2009 to 2025
$1.8M
Estrogenicity Of Soy FormulaZ01ES044006 · NIEHS · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES · PI ROGAN, WALTER · 2001 to 2008
$1.1M
Intramural NIH HHS Z01 ES044006Intramural NIH HHS ZIA ES044006National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Social & Scientific Systems Inc HHSN291200555546CNational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Social & Scientific Systems Inc PHR-SUPS2-S-09-00196NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR000003NCATS NIH HHS UL1TR000003NIEHS NIH HHS ES044006
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTestis volume, an indicator of the reproductive development during minipuberty, is commonly measured by Prader orchidometer, despite ultrasound being the gold standard. Data are lacking on the longitudinal relationship between these two measures and on the stability of boys' relative testis size across infancy.

objectivesTo examine the relationship between ultrasound-based and orchidometer-based testis volume measurements and to assess the stability of relative testis size among individual boys in the study. MATERIALS AND

methodsThe Infant Feeding and Early Development study is a longitudinal cohort of healthy infants recruited from hospitals in the Philadelphia area during 2010-2013. We measured testis size from birth to 28 weeks in 147 infants using Prader orchidometry (nine study visits) and ultrasound (five study visits). We modeled testis growth, extracted predicted volumes for each boy on each day of the study, and ranked these volumes from smallest to largest.

resultsThe average testis volume trajectory exhibited linear growth over the first 16 weeks followed by slower growth and then a plateau. Prader orchidometry overestimated testis size by almost 3-fold, compared to ultrasound. A range of ultrasound volumes corresponded to each bead size (e.g., bead size of 1 cm DISCUSSION: Consistent with other studies, we found wide variability in testis size during infancy and that Prader orchidometry overestimates testis size. When compared to ultrasound, orchidometry only crudely estimates testis size in this age group. Ultrasound-based volumes generally showed stability in relative testis size across infancy.

conclusionAccurate measurement of testis size is difficult using orchidometry in infants. This highlights the need for ultrasound for accurate measurement, with a one-time measurement likely sufficient to determine relative testis size across the first 6 months of infancy.

Indexed as

TestisHumansInfantInfant, NewbornLongitudinal StudiesMaleOrgan SizeUltrasonographyinfant boysminipubertyreproductive developmenttestis growth

Identifiers

PMID38818880
PMCPMC11607171

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.