Koro syndrome, anxiety disorder, culturebound syndrome, genital retraction two cases of koro syndrome hakan atalay hakan atalay md. No prior cases of koro like symptoms have been reported in an id population. View enhanced pdf access article on wiley online library html view download pdf for offline viewing. Koro is a relatively rare syndrome that is related to various etiological, clinical, diagnostic and cultural aspects leading to several controversial debates, letters to editors and comments on. Symptoms, causes, treatments he koro syndrome is a disorder in which the patient believes that his genitals are shrinking or retracting into the abdomen and will soon disappear. Koro, a culturebound psychogenic illness characterized by fear of. A man may perform manual or mechanical penile traction, or anchoring by a loop of string or some clamping. The koro epidemic in singapore by koro study team koro, a disease characterised by the sudden delusion of. Koro is a culture bound syndrome, which has been reported usually from asian countries. Although named after a southeast asias culturebound syndrome it has been described in european literature since the 1880s chowdhury 1998. Its aetiology and origin are traced in chinese culture, to the chin dynasty.
Chronic korolike symptoms two case reports europe pmc. Koro syndrome is a psychiatric disorder characterised, in its typical form, by acute and intense anxiety, with complaints in men of a shrinking penis or fear of its retraction into the. Two cases of koro syndrome or anxiety disorder associated with genital retraction fear article pdf available in turk psikiyatri dergisi turkish journal of psychiatry 183. A nosology for the classification of koro syndrome. The unprecedented inclusion of culturebound syndromes in dsmiv provides the. The first descriptions of koro like symptoms with some. Is there any support for renamingredirecting this page to genital retraction syndrome grs, allowing it to become more general. A case of koro is described in an elderly person with associated inguinal hernia and schizophrenia. Koro is also known as shrinking penis, and it is listed in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. It can occur when people feel strong guilt because engaging in masturbation or when they think it is sort of magic brought on them for genital theft. Pdf two cases of koro syndrome or anxiety disorder associated. This case report describes a case of koro syndrome. As a koro researcher for the past 35 years arabinda n chowdhury. Pdf two cases of koro syndrome or anxiety disorder.
This conceptual history reveals important issues about the classification nosology of koro. Koro syndrome is connected to religious beliefs and witchcraft. Upon complete retraction of the body part in question, death is the feared consequence. Koro is a culturebound syndrome delusional disorder in which an individual has an. Abstract nineteen years after he had first been known in the clinic as the father of a boy with hypopituitarism, a man requested an appointment for his own problem of penis shrinkage. Koro is a culturebound syndrome that is characterized by the belief of retraction of genitals into the abdomen. Koro and schizophrenia in singapore the british journal. The rare syndrome of koro is presented in a case of an individual with intellectual disability id and fixated pedophilia. Koro is a unique psychiatric disorder in which acute anxiety accompanies the perception of genital retraction sometimes unflatteringly called penis panic. It is characterized by the belief that the patients penis is shrinking or retracting into the abdomen, and its eventual disappearance will result in the patients death. Here we consider the history of ideas about koro, from early concepts in traditional chinese medicine tcm to contemporary ideas from medicine and sociology.
Abstract koro syndrome is a psychiatric disorder characterized by acute anxiety of ones genital retraction. Chronic korolike symptoms two case reports bmc psychiatry. As a culturebound syndrome, koro refers to an episode of sudden and intense. There is no description in literature of a chronic form of this syndrome. Symptoms include attacks of crying, trembling, uncon. Symptoms include attacks of crying, trembling, uncontrollable shouting, physical or verbal aggression, and intense heat in the chest moving to the head. A psychiatric study of patients presenting with complaints of dhat. Pdf koro is largely considered to be a culturespecific psychiatric disorder occurring primarily in southeast asian cultures though a large. Koro is a culturebound syndrome, first identified in southeast asia. Dhat syndrome has been thought to occur primarily upon the indian subcontinent, where cultural and religious beliefs view semen as one of the bodys most precious fluids. A case report is presented of a korolike syndrome in a 34yearold bedouin man living in the negev desert in israel. The treatment of koro, the shrinking penis disease, may be a case in point as.
Koro, used synonymously for genital retraction syndromes and controversially discussed as. An outbreak of koro among 19 workers in a jute mill in south bengal. Moreover, koro can occur as individualized cases or fullblown epidemics. Genital pain associated with genital retraction a case of. Koro is a unique psychiatric disorder in which acute anxiety accompanies the perception of genital retraction. Koro is a culturebound syndrome delusional disorder in which an individual has an overpowering belief that ones sex organs are retracting and will disappear, despite the lack of any true longstanding changes to the genitals. Although named after a southeast asias culturebound syndrome. Koro is a culturespecific syndrome in which an individual has an overpowering belief that his or her genitalia are retracting and will disappear, despite the lack of any true longstanding changes to the genitals. Indigenous koro, a genital retraction syndrome of insular. The origin of the word, koro, is connected to the malaysian term for the retracting of a turtles head. Koro is a term that is believed to originate from two different malaysian words for to shrink or the tortoise. The koro syndrome is a triad of deepseated fear of penile shrinkage, its disappearance into the abdomen and consequent death. This episode is accompanied by a preventive maneuver by self or others either by manual or mechanical means of pulling the penis.
Pdf as a culturalbound syndrome, koro is described in the dsmiv as an episode of. A case is presented of a patient who described a koro. Certain indigenous treatment practices can be dangerous, and several means of. In this culturebound syndrome, originally reported in south and east asia, the male. Koro is a culturebound syndrome characterized by a fear that the genitals or breasts will retract into the body and cause death. This article describes a case of koro like symptoms from oman associated with alcohol withdrawal and illustrates how the sociocultural practices of ramadanfasting. Korolike symptom in a nonchinese subject the british. It is more common in men, who are convinced that their penis is getting smaller and smaller, and even that it could invaginate itself inside their.
The degree of symptoms can range from mild to severe. Koro involves the spurious belief that certain body parts, such as the penis in men and the vulva in women, are retracting into the body. Symptoms, causes, treatments he koro syndrome is a disorder in which the patient believes that his genitals are shrinking or retracting into the abdomen and will soon. Update on koro research methodology chowdhury an, brahma a. Two patients with koro like symptoms from orissa in east india are presented here, whose symptoms continued for prolonged duration of more than ten years, highlighting the possibility of a chronic form of this syndrome. Koro is similar to, but nevertheless distinct from, the chinese syndrome. Koro, korolike syndrome, genital retraction syndrome. Schizophrenia presenting with korolike symptoms the. Avens publishing group korolike syndrome in an iranian. It has been described as an acute, brief lasting illness, which often occurs in epidemics.
Koro syndrome associated with alcoholinduced systemic disease in a zulu. The koro syndrome is a disorder in which the patient believes that his genitals are shrinking or retracting into the abdomen and will soon disappear. Originally thought to be a chinese and indonesian culturebound syndrome, it has recently been noted to occur in indian patients as well. Full text views reflects the number of pdf downloads. Koro syndrome is characterized by the belief that the patients penis is shrinking into the abdomen, and its eventual disappearance will result in the patients death. Abstract koro is a unique psychiatric disorder in which acute anxiety accompanies the perception of genital retraction sometimes unflatteringly called penis panic. Koro is a relatively rare syndrome that is related to various etiological, clinical, diagnostic and cultural aspects leading to several controversial debates, letters to editors and. This case report describes a case of koro syndrome associated with penile and scrotal pain. Koro, a disorder characterized by complaints of genital hyperinvolution and fear of impending death, is found to be indigenous to certain populations of insular southeast asia. Serotonin syndrome ss is a group of symptoms that may occur with the use of certain serotonergic medications or drugs. Originally thought to be a chinese and indonesian culturebound syndrome. Ramadan fasting triggering korolike symptoms during acute. Koro syndrome is not physically threatening since penis retraction.
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