Normal ultrasound values: normal size of the uterus, ovary, kidney, spleen and other organs

The normal size of the uterus, ovary, kidney and spleen on ultrasound depends on age, sex, height and method: in adults, the reference is around 7 to 9 cm of uterine length, an ovarian volume of up to 20 cm³ before menopause, a kidney of 9 to 12 cm and a spleen of up to 12 cm. None of these values is an absolute dividing line. The table shows where each number comes from, so the report can use the right reference.

Table of normal ultrasound values in adults

Normal size of the uterus and ovary

Platt's measurements come from histologically normal uteri in surgical patients, with the cervix included in the length. Only 9 were nulliparous, so the numbers are a guide, not a limit. Merz confirmed the increase with parity and the reduction after menopause. More recent series show smaller uteri after age 60 than Platt's mean.

Ovarian volume falls with age: in Pavlik, 6.6 cm³ before age 30 and 1.8 cm³ from age 70. Taller women have larger ovaries; weight showed no relation.

Normal size of the kidney and spleen

On CT in 1,040 adults, mean length was 10.9 cm on the right and 11.1 cm on the left. On ultrasound, height is the factor most closely related to length, and the kidney shrinks with age through parenchymal loss. An Indian series reported a mean near 9.6 cm.

For the spleen, Chow measured 1,230 healthy volunteers: 6% of women and 26% of men exceeded 12 cm. The adjusted range applies to women 155 to 179 cm tall and men 165 to 199 cm tall. Some also use 11 cm as the cutoff, so the sources diverge. In the same spleen, repeating the measurement changed the value by up to 1.8 cm.

Liver, thyroid, prostate and bladder

• Liver: the mean was 14.5 cm in men and 13.5 cm in women. BMI and height were the most important factors.
• Thyroid: the classic limits are disputed. In 8,606 German adults without thyroid disease, the 95th percentile was 28.6 mL in women and 38.7 mL in men, and it rose with age. The authors caution that the value depends on the iodine intake of the population.
• Prostate: there is no universal normal limit. The 30 mL cutoff defines enlargement in hyperplasia studies.
• Bladder: the wall can only be assessed with adequate filling.

What the report should include

• The measurements themselves, not just "normal dimensions".
• Calculated volume and the formula, when more than one is in use. For the thyroid, coefficients such as 0.479 and 0.52 are used.
• Comparison with the previous exam, made in the same plane.

Common mistakes

• Reporting splenomegaly only because the spleen exceeded 12 cm in a tall man.
• Using the premenopausal reference in an older patient, or the reverse.
• Applying these tables to children, who have their own age-based references.
• Comparing measurements taken by different routes or planes.

See also our texts on spleen and splenomegaly, kidneys and urinary tract and the transvaginal pelvic report.

How Laudário helps

In the Laudário templates, measurements go into dedicated fields:

• For the kidney, length is compared with the 9 to 12 cm range and flags enlarged or reduced, with manual adjustment by the physician.
• For the thyroid, volume is calculated and the reference range follows the recorded sex.
• Uterus and ovaries have calculated volume, and the ovary brings the reference into the text.

Try it for 15 days free, no credit card required.

References

Platt JF et al. J Clin Ultrasound 1990. Merz E et al. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 1996. Pavlik EJ et al. Gynecol Oncol 2000. Glodny B et al. BMC Urol 2009. Emamian SA et al. AJR 1993. Chow KU et al. Radiology 2016. Kratzer W et al. J Ultrasound Med 2003. Ittermann T et al. Eur J Endocrinol 2025. Kim SB et al. Korean J Urol 2014.