Which statement describes Tanner breast stage 3?

• A. Prepubertal: no palpable breast tissue
• B. Breast buds, elevated papilla and enlargement of areola
• C. Enlargement of breast, areola contour even with breast
• D. Areola and papilla project above breast, second mound

Answer: (C)

Tanner stages describe how breast development progresses during puberty. In stage 3 the breast enlarges further, and the areola’s contour is level with the rest of the breast—there’s no separate secondary mound yet. That makes the description of enlargement of the breast with the areola contour even with the breast the correct match for stage 3. The other statements fit earlier or later stages: stage I is prepubertal with no palpable tissue, stage II is breast buds with elevated papilla and enlargement of the areola, and stage IV is when the areola and papilla form a second mound above the breast.