Breast measurement involves the
measurement of the
breasts for quantifying physical characteristics such as
size, shape, and
developmental state.[1] A variety of different approaches have been employed for measuring the breasts.[1]
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).[2][3][4]
Breast volume
Breast volume is a method of measuring the size of the breasts.[1][5] 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.[5][1] 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.[1][5] However, 3D scanning might have the potential to become the new gold standard for clinical assessment.[6][7] A limitation of 3D scanning is inaccuracy in the case of large and/or
ptotic.[8]
In a normative study of breast volumes in women using 3D scanning, breast volumes were median 515mL, mean 650mL,
interquartile range 310 to 850mL, and range ~50 to 3,100mL.[9] In transgender women, breast volume measured with 3D scanning has been reported to reach a plateau of around 100mL (but with an apparent range of up to 750mL) after 3 to 4years of hormone therapy.[10][11]
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.[12][13][14] It has been studied and validated in normal women and men, women with
macromastia or
gigantomastia, and transgender women.[12][13][15][16][17] Average breast volumes have been reported to be 272 to 283mL (range 99–694mL in one study) in normal women,[13][15] 888mL in women with macromastia or gigantomastia,[15] and 158 to 190mL (range 20–788mL) in transgender women after 6months of hormone therapy.[17] The resolution and accuracy of the BIVE is less than with 3D scanners.[12]
Breast circumference
Breast circumference, also known as bust circumference, is a measurement of the
circumference of the
torso at the level of the breasts. It has been used as a measure of breast size in normal young women,[18] in women with
pregnancy,[19][20] and in
transgender women.[21][22][23][24] Breast circumference is generally measured using a flexible fabric
tape measure, and is the circumference across the breasts over the
nipples to the
back. The
breast–chest difference is breast circumference minus band or underbust circumference and is used in the determination of
bra cup size.
Breast–chest difference
Breast–chest difference, also known as bust–band difference, is a measurement used for quantifying breast size. It is calculated as
bust circumference minus the band or underbust circumference. Breast–chest difference has been used in the measurement of breast development in
transgender women on
feminizing hormone therapy.[25][10][26][27][23]
Bra size, also bra cup size, is a measurement of the breasts for selecting
bras, taking into account breast size and
torsocircumference. It is determined using the
breast–chest difference, with 12–14cm equating to an A cup, 14–16cm a B cup, 16–18cm a C cup, and 18–20cm a D cup. [citation needed]
Breast hemicircumference
Breast hemicircumference, also sometimes referred to as breast width or as breast circumference (
incorrectly), is an
anthropometric measure of the breasts which has been used in studies to assess breast development and breast size, including in
transgender women.[29][25][30][28][31][32][33] It is the medial horizontal length (measured with a
flexible tape measure) from one side of the breast to the other side and running over the nipple.[30][28][31] A measurement of 7inches is said to correspond to an A cup, 8inches to a B cup, 9inches to a C cup, and so on, with each further 1-inch increment or decrement corresponding to one cup size up or down.[31]
Breast unit
The breast unit is a measurement of the breasts in which the breasts are measured horizontally and vertically and then these values are multiplied to given an overall idea of breast size.[34][35][36] It was devised by Vincent J. Capraro and has been used in
pediatric endocrinology to quantify breast development.[34][35][36] The method has been described as follows:[36]
At times it is desirable to know whether or not a girl's breasts are developing normally by observing their increasing size over a period of several months. In some cases it is also advantageous to determine whether or not differences in the sizes of the two breasts are of clinical significance. In order to more accurately measure breast size, one of us (V.J.C.) devised a technique for breast measurement. This technique may be used in following up the development of normal breasts as well as of breasts showing asymmetric development. With a centimeter tape measure, the breast is measured from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock (Fig. 23-4, A) and from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock (Fig. 23-4, B). These two measurements are multiplied, yielding a figure called the breast unit. Table 23-3 shows the typical spread of breast units in a normal adolescent.
Other measurements of the breasts, like
areolar diameter, can also be determined.[1]
References
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abcdefXi W, Perdanasari AT, Ong Y, Han S, Min P, Su W, Feng S, Pacchioni L, Zhang YX, Lazzeri D (December 2014). "Objective breast volume, shape and surface area assessment: a systematic review of breast measurement methods". Aesthetic Plast Surg. 38 (6): 1116–30.
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^Tanner, J.M. (1986). "1 Normal growth and techniques of growth assessment". Clinics in Endocrinology and Metabolism. 15 (3): 411–451.
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^Kadakia R, O'Brien E, Habiby R (October 2022). "Creation of a Novel Hands-on Model to Teach Breast Tanner Staging to Pediatric Learners". Simul Healthc. 17 (5): 343–347.
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^Yang J, Zhang R, Shen J, Hu Y, Lv Q (December 2015). "The Three-Dimensional Techniques in the Objective Measurement of Breast Aesthetics". Aesthetic Plast Surg. 39 (6): 910–5.
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PMID26395095.
^
abcKasielska-Trojan A, Mikołajczyk M, Antoszewski B (December 2020). "BreastIdea Volume Estimator: A New Tool for Breast Volume Estimation-Presentation and Validation for Women". Plast Reconstr Surg. 146 (6): 744e–748e.
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^Galbarczyk A (2011). "Unexpected changes in maternal breast size during pregnancy in relation to infant sex: an evolutionary interpretation". Am J Hum Biol. 23 (4): 560–2.
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^Drąsutis, J. (2017). Krūtų morfologinių parametrų, kūno dydžio bei formos ir kraujo serumo prolaktino bei lipidų kitimai per nėštumą, daugialypės šių rodiklių sąsajos ir sveikatos rizikos morfologiniai žymenys (Doctoral dissertation, Vilniaus universitetas).
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^de, Blok Christel; Klaver, Maartje; Nota, Nienke; Dekker, Marieke; den, Heijer Martin (13 May 2016). "Breast development in male-to-female transgender patients after one year cross-sex hormonal treatment". Endocrine Abstracts.
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abcMeyer WJ, Webb A, Stuart CA, Finkelstein JW, Lawrence B, Walker PA (April 1986). "Physical and hormonal evaluation of transsexual patients: a longitudinal study". Arch Sex Behav. 15 (2): 121–38.
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abMeyer WJ, Finkelstein JW, Stuart CA, Webb A, Smith ER, Payer AF, Walker PA (August 1981). "Physical and hormonal evaluation of transsexual patients during hormonal therapy". Arch Sex Behav. 10 (4): 347–56.
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abcPechter EA (September 1998). "A new method for determining bra size and predicting postaugmentation breast size". Plast Reconstr Surg. 102 (4): 1259–65.
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^Pechter, Edward A. (2009). "Method for Determining Bra Size and Predicting Postaugmentation Breast Size". Breast Augmentation. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 77–83.
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