Male Tanner Stage
Aka: Male Tanner Stage, Male Sexual Development, Male Tanner Staging, Testicle Size, Tanner Boys Genital Development Stage
II. Stage: Tanner 1 (Prepubertal)
III. Stage: Tanner 2
- Height increases at basal rate: 5-6 cm/year
- Testes
- Size 4 ml or long axis 2.5 to 3.2 cm
- Age 11.5 years (age 9.5 to 13.5 years)
- Pubic Hair
- Minimal coarse, pigmented hair at base of penis
- Age 12.0 years (age 9.9 to 14.0 years)
- Penis Stage
- Earliest increased length and width
- Age 11.5 years (age 10.5-14.5 years)
IV. Stage: Tanner 3 (Adrenarche)
- Height increases at accelerated rate: 7-8 cm/year
- Testes
- Size 12 ml or long axis 3.6 cm
- Age 14.0 years (11.5-16.5 years)
- Pubic Hair
- Coarse, dark curly hair spread over the pubis
- Age 13.1 years (11.2-15.0 years)
- Penis Stage
- Increased length and width
- Age 12.4 years (10.1-14.6 years)
- Other Changes
- Gynecomastia may occur (age 13.2 years)
- Voice breaks (age 13.5 years)
- Axillary hair (age 14.0 years)
- Acne Vulgaris (age 14.3 years)
- Body Odor
- Muscle mass increases
V. Stage: Tanner 4
- Height increases at peak rate: 10 cm/year (age 13.8)
- Pubic Hair
- Hair of adult quality
- Not spread to junction of medial thigh with perineum
- Age 13.9 years (12.0-15.8 years)
- Penis
- Continued growth in length and width
- Age 13.2 years (11.2-15.3 years)
- Testes
- Length 4.1 to 4.5 cm
- Other Changes
- Voice changes (age 14.1 years)
VI. Stage: Tanner 5
- No further height increases after age 17 years
- Pubic Hair
- Adult pubic hair distribution (15.3 years)
- Pubic hair spreads to medial thigh
- No hair spread to linea alba
- Penis
- Mature genital size by 16.5 years
- Testes
- Length >4.5 cm
- Secondary sexual characteristics
- Facial hair present on sides
- Mature male physique
- Gynecomastia disappears
VII. Exam: Testicle Size (typical ranges)
- Birth to 6 months
- Size: 1.5 cm long and 1.0 cm wide
- Child <6 years
- Size 2 cm long and 1.2 cm wide
- Adult:
- Size 4-5 cm long and 3.0 cm wide and 3.0 cm deep (AP)
- Testicle length <3.5 cm is considered small for an adult
VIII. Exam: Growth in Boys
- Peak height velocity: Age 13.5 (11.7-15.3 years)
- Peak growth: 9.5 cm/year
- Occurs during Tanner Stage 3 to 4 in boys
- Basal growth occurs up until Tanner Stage 3
- Basal Growth rate: 5.0 to 6.0 cm per year from age 4 years to Puberty (similar to girls)
- Pubertal Linear Growth (typically completed by age 17 years in boys)
- Boys who mature average time: 9.5 (7.1-11.9) cm/yr
- Boys who mature early: 10.3 (7.9-12.5) cm/yr
- Boys who mature late: 8.5 (6.3-10.7) cm/yr
IX. Reference
- Tanner (1966) Growth at Adolescence, Appleton
- Klein (2017) Am Fam Physician 96(9): 590-99 [PubMed]
- Marshall (1970) Arch Dis Child 45:13-23 [PubMed]
- Tanner (1985) J Pediatr 107(3):317 [PubMed]