Underestimation of Testicular Size by Medical Students and Housestaff
Authors: Brian S. Aprill
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1996)

Letters1 December 1996Underestimation of Testicular Size by Medical Students and HousestaffBrian S. Aprill, MD, Rodney D. Michaels, MD, and K.M. Mohamed Shakir, MDBrian S. Aprill, MDNational Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889-5600.Note: The views expressed in this letter are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.Search for more papers by this author, Rodney D. Michaels, MDNational Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889-5600.Note: The views expressed in this letter are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.Search for more papers by this author, and K.M. Mohamed Shakir, MDNational Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889-5600.Note: The views expressed in this letter are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-125-11-199612010-00027 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Recent reports [1, 2] have addressed deficiencies in medical education, especially education for physical examination. Improper examination techniques, omissions, detection failures, and errors in interpreting physical findings can often affect diagnosis [3]. This is particularly true for testicular examination, where identifying small size can lead to the clinical diagnosis of hypogonadism and its important treatable causes (such as pituitary disease) and sequelae (including osteoporosis, anemia, and infertility).We questioned 81 third- and fourth-year medical students and internal medicine housestaff at four major teaching hospitals in the Washington, D.C., area about testicular examination. By examining a Prader orchidometer ...References1. Johnson JE, Carpenter JL. Medical housestaff performance in physical examination. Arch Intern Med. 1986; 146:937-41. Google Scholar2. Wray NP, Friedland JA. Detection and correction of housestaff error in physical diagnosis. JAMA. 1983; 249:1035-7. Google Scholar3. Weiner S, Nathonson M. Physical examination—frequently observed errors. JAMA. 1976; 236:852-5. Google Scholar4. Takihara H, Costentino MJ, Sakatoko J, Cochett AT. Significance of testicular size measurement in andrology. II. Correlation of testicular size with testicular function. J Urol. 1987; 137:416-9. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889-5600.Note: The views expressed in this letter are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics 1 December 1996Volume 125, Issue 11Page: 942KeywordsAnemiaHospital medicineHypogonadismInfertilityMedical educationOsteoporosisTestes Issue Published: 1 December 1996 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1996 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...