Breast measurement

Breast measurement involves the measurement of the breasts for quantifying physical characteristics such as size, shape, and developmental state. A variety of different approaches have been employed for measuring the breasts.

Tanner staging

Tanner staging can be used to assess the developmental state of the breasts during puberty, from childhood (Tanner stage 1) to adulthood (Tanner stage 5).

Breast volume

Breast volume is a method of measuring the size of the breasts. A variety of techniques have been used to measure breast volume, including water displacement, plaster casting, medical imaging (e.g., mammography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound), and 3D scanning. There is substantial measurement error with many breast volume measures, but MRI imaging appears to have among the lowest error and hence to be the most accurate measure. However, 3D scanning might have the potential to become the new gold standard for clinical assessment. A limitation of 3D scanning is inaccuracy in the case of large and/or ptotic.

In a normative study of breast volumes in cisgender women using 3D scanning, breast volumes were median 515 mL, mean 650 mL, interquartile range 310 to 850 mL, and range ~50 to 3,100 mL. In transgender women, breast volume measured with 3D scanning has been reported to reach a plateau of around 100 mL (but with an apparent range of up to 750 mL) after 3 to 4 years of hormone therapy.

Breast volume has also been assessed with the BreastIdea Volume Estimator (BIVE), a freely available web application that uses user-provided photographs and anthropometric measurements to calculate estimations of breast volume.