[Koro syndrome--clinical and cultural aspects]

Koro syndrome is a triad which includes a deep-seated fear that the penis will shrink, disappear into the abdomen, and that death will follow. The patient experiences profound anxiety and performs preventive manoeuvres, such as pulling his penis outward. The disorder is considered culture-related, and is endemic in South-East Asia and China, where it occurs in epidemic and sporadic forms. Sporadic cases appear in the western hemisphere, often in association with an underlying psychiatric or organic disorder, usually of the central nervous system. 6 cases of koro have been published from Israel.