Average Testicular Volume in Adult European Males
Normal Reference Values
The median testicular volume in healthy adult European males is approximately 15-22.5 ml per testis, with fertile men typically having volumes around 22.5 ml. 1
In a large study of white-European men, fertile controls had a median testicular volume of 22.5 ml, while infertile men had significantly smaller volumes at 15 ml 1
Mean testicular volume in adult males ranges from 15-19 ml when measured with various clinical methods, including ruler measurements (15 ± 8 ml), orchidometer (16 ± 7 ml), and ultrasound (17 ± 8 ml) 2
The normal adult male mean testicular volume is consistently reported as 17-19 ml across multiple measurement techniques 3
Clinical Significance of Volume Thresholds
Testicular volumes below 12 ml are definitively considered atrophic and associated with significant pathology, including impaired spermatogenesis and increased cancer risk. 4
Volumes of 15-18 ml are associated with normal spermatogenesis and adequate fertility potential according to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology 4
The American Urological Association considers 12 ml as the lower limit of normal, with volumes below this threshold warranting further investigation 4
A testicular volume threshold of 15 ml has good predictive ability for detecting oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) in infertile men 1
Measurement Considerations
The Prader orchidometer provides a good surrogate for testicular volume measurement and is more cost-effective than ultrasound for routine clinical practice 4
When calculating volume from ultrasound measurements, the Lambert formula (Length × Width × Height × 0.71) should be used rather than the traditional ellipsoid formula (0.52 coefficient), as the latter systematically underestimates volume by 20-30% 4
Clinical measurements with orchidometers and external calipers tend to overestimate ultrasound volumes by 70-80% in adults due to inclusion of scrotal skin and epididymis 5