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Body Surface Area Calculator

Body surface area by the Mosteller and DuBois formulas.

Everyone & professionalsWeight & body compositionv1.0.1

Your measurements

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Your result will appear here

Enter your measurements, then press Calculate.

Methodology

Mosteller (1987) and DuBois (1916)

Mosteller: √(height cm × weight kg / 3600); DuBois: 0.007184 × W^0.425 × H^0.725

Mosteller's formula is a simpler calculation; DuBois is the historical reference. Both are used to scale drug doses and physiological values.

Who it is for
Adults and children (the formulas are used across ages).
Version
1.0.1

How this calculator works

Where the formula comes from

  • Du Bois and Du Bois published their formula in 1916; it was derived from only 9 subjects.[1][2]
  • Mosteller (1987) published a simpler formula, the square root of height (cm) × weight (kg) ÷ 3600, as a letter in the New England Journal of Medicine.[3]

The inputs

  • Both formulas use height in centimetres and weight in kilograms and give an estimate in square metres; neither measures surface area directly.[1][3]

Versions and alternatives

  • Other formulas exist, such as Haycock (1978), which was validated in infants, children and adults.[4]

Where accuracy falls (published evidence)

  • A 2006 comparison noted that validation data for the Mosteller formula in adults are rare.[2]
  • ASCO (2021) notes that different BSA formulas can give noticeably different results at extremes of height and weight.[5]

What guidelines say

  • ASCO (2021) states that any standard BSA formula may be used for dosing anticancer therapy in adults with obesity, as no formula has been shown to be superior.[5]

Sources

  1. Du Bois D, Du Bois EF. Clinical calorimetry: tenth paper. A formula to estimate the approximate surface area if height and weight be known. Arch Intern Med. 1916;17(6_2):863–871. doi:10.1001/archinte.1916.00080130010002
  2. Verbraecken J, Van de Heyning P, De Backer W, Van Gaal L. Body surface area in normal-weight, overweight, and obese adults. A comparison study. Metabolism. 2006;55(4):515–524. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2005.11.004
  3. Mosteller RD. Simplified calculation of body-surface area. N Engl J Med. 1987;317(17):1098. doi:10.1056/NEJM198710223171717
  4. Haycock GB, Schwartz GJ, Wisotsky DH. Geometric method for measuring body surface area: a height-weight formula validated in infants, children, and adults. J Pediatr. 1978;93(1):62–66. doi:10.1016/S0022-3476(78)80601-5
  5. Griggs JJ, Bohlke K, Balaban EP, et al. Appropriate systemic therapy dosing for obese adult patients with cancer: ASCO guideline update. J Clin Oncol. 2021;39(18):2037–2048. doi:10.1200/JCO.21.00471

Compiled from the published sources above. Every statement was agreed independently by three AI research tools (Claude, ChatGPT, DeepSeek) and its source verified in PubMed or Crossref by the Hakeemly editorial team. Not reviewed by a doctor unless stated. Agreed on

Worked example: how to calculate body surface area

Inputs

Height
170 cm
Weight
70 kg

Result

Mosteller
1.82 m²
DuBois
1.81 m²

Calculation:

√(170×70/3600) = 1.818; 0.007184×70^0.425×170^0.725 = 1.810

An illustration with sample values, worked out with the same method the tool above uses.

Limitations

  • Formulas differ most at extremes of body size.
  • For chemotherapy, follow the protocol's BSA method and capping rules.

References

  1. Mosteller RD. Simplified calculation of body-surface area. N Engl J Med. 1987;317(17):1098. doi:10.1056/NEJM198710223171717
  2. Du Bois D, Du Bois EF. A formula to estimate the approximate surface area if height and weight be known. Arch Intern Med. 1916;17(6):863–871.

Continue with your measurements

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