The objective was to investigate the applicability and limitations of an approach for estimating particle size from powder dissolution measurement using as little as 50 microg of sample in 1 ml of buffer solutions. The powder dissolution profiles of five sparingly-soluble drugs (hydrochlorothiazide, phenazopyridine hydrochloride, 2-naphthoic acid, indomethacin, and dipyridamole) were evaluated with a novel biexponential spherical particle equation and also the Wang-Flanagan spherical particle non-sink equation. The results were compared to particle sizing based on measured specific surface area by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, and also based on Coulter counting. With the exception of hydrochlorothiazide, the model compounds indicated some agglomeration in the dissolution media. The dry-state specific surface area was larger than expected from either the Coulter method or the powder-dissolution data, especially for phenazopyridine hydrochloride. The particle radii estimated by the powder dissolution method ranged from 10 to 68 microm, with equilibrium solubilities spanning from 5 microg/ml (dipyridamole) to 911 microg/ml (hydrochlorothiazide). Powder dissolution data collected with the miniaturized apparatus can be used to determine particle size, with estimated values agreeing reasonably with those measured by the Coulter counter method.