[Koro-like symptoms in a recurrent depressive disorder]

We report the case of a German male with a major depressive episode who also suffered from the terrifying perception that his penis was shrinking. These so-called koro-like symptoms (KLS) had also been present in earlier depressive episodes and subsided in the symptom-free interval of the recurrent depressive disorder. Under sufficient antidepressant medication with venlafaxine and lithium not only KLS but also the depressive symptoms remitted. The course of illness provides further evidence that KLS are not a distinct clinical entity in Western countries, but represent a concomitant syndrome that requires treatment of the underlying illness.