An
orchidometer (or
orchiometer) is a medical instrument used to measure the
volumeThe volume of any solid, liquid, gas, plasma, theoretical object, or vacuum is how much three-dimensional space it occupies, often quantified numerically. One-dimensional figures and two-dimensional shapes are assigned zero volume in the three-dimensional space...
of the
testicleThe testicle is the male generative gland in animals.The etymology of the word is based on Roman law...
s.
The orchidometer was introduced in 1966 by pediatric endocrinologist Prof. Dr. Dr. hc. Andrea Prader of the
University of ZurichThe University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 24,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy...
. It consists of a string of twelve numbered wooden or plastic beads of increasing size from about 1 to 25 millilitres.
DoctorA physician — also known as medical practitioner, doctor of medicine, medical doctor, or simply doctor — practices the ancient profession of medicine, which is concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease or injury...
s sometimes informally refer to them as "Prader's balls", "the medical worry beads", or the "endocrine rosary."
The beads are compared with the testicles of the patient, and the volume is read off the bead which matches most closely in size.
An
orchidometer (or
orchiometer) is a medical instrument used to measure the
volumeThe volume of any solid, liquid, gas, plasma, theoretical object, or vacuum is how much three-dimensional space it occupies, often quantified numerically. One-dimensional figures and two-dimensional shapes are assigned zero volume in the three-dimensional space...
of the
testicleThe testicle is the male generative gland in animals.The etymology of the word is based on Roman law...
s.
The orchidometer was introduced in 1966 by pediatric endocrinologist Prof. Dr. Dr. hc. Andrea Prader of the
University of ZurichThe University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 24,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy...
. It consists of a string of twelve numbered wooden or plastic beads of increasing size from about 1 to 25 millilitres.
DoctorA physician — also known as medical practitioner, doctor of medicine, medical doctor, or simply doctor — practices the ancient profession of medicine, which is concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease or injury...
s sometimes informally refer to them as "Prader's balls", "the medical worry beads", or the "endocrine rosary."
The beads are compared with the testicles of the patient, and the volume is read off the bead which matches most closely in size. Prepubertal sizes are 1–3 ml, pubertal sizes are considered 4 ml and up and adult sizes are 12–25 ml.
The orchidometer can be used to accurately determine size of testes. Discrepancy of testicular size with other parameters of maturation can be an important clue to various diseases. Small testes can indicate either primary or secondary
hypogonadismHypogonadism is a medical term for a defect of the gonads that results in the underproduction of testosterone...
. Testicular size can help distinguish between different types of
precocious pubertyPrecocious puberty is an unusually early onset of puberty, the process of sexual maturation triggered by the brain or exogenous chemicals, which usually begins in late childhood and results in reproductive maturity and completion of growth...
. Since testicular growth is typically the first physical sign of true puberty, one of the most common uses is as confirmation that puberty is beginning in a boy with
delayPuberty is described as delayed puberty when a boy or girl has passed the usual age of onset of puberty with no physical or hormonal signs that it is beginning. Puberty may be delayed for several years and still occur normally, in which case it is considered constitutional delay, a variation of...
. Large testes (
macroorchidismMacroorchidism is the medical term used to describe a genetic disorder found in males where a subject has abnormally large testes. The condition is commonly inherited in connection with fragile X syndrome, which is also the second most common genetic cause of mental retardation...
) can be a clue to one of the most common causes of mental retardation,
fragile X syndromeFragile X syndrome, or Martin-Bell syndrome, is a genetic syndrome which results in a spectrum of characteristic physical, intellectual, emotional and behavioural features which range from severe to mild in manifestation....
.
Professor Stephen Shalet, a leading endocrinologist who works for the
Christie HospitalThe Christie NHS Foundation Trust is located in Withington, Manchester, and is one of the largest cancer treatment centres in Europe. The Christie became a NHS Foundation Trust in April 2007 and is also an international leader in cancer research and development, and home to the Paterson Institute...
in
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. In 2007, the population of the city was estimated to be 458,100...
, is reported to have told
The ObserverThe Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In about the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a left-liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-History:The...
, "Every endocrinologist should have an orchidometer. It's his
stethoscopeThe stethoscope is an acoustic medical device for auscultation, or listening to the internal sounds of an animal body. It is often used to listen to heart sounds. It is also used to listen to intestines and blood flow in arteries and veins...
."
Orchidometers are also commonly used to measure testicular volume in rams.
Further reading
- Prader, A., "Testicular size: Assessment and clinical importance", Triangle, 1966, vol. 7, pp. 240 - 243
- Taranger, J., Engström, I., Lichtensten, H., Svenberg-Redegren, I., "Somatic Pubertal Development", Acta Pediatr. Scand. Suppl. 1976, vol. 258, pp. 121 - 135
External links