Koro Syndrome

Koro is a culture-bound delusional disorder in which a person holds an overpowering belief that their sex organs are retracting and will disappear, despite no true underlying change in the genitals; it is also known as shrinking penis and was listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The syndrome has occurred worldwide, with a history of mass hysteria around genital-shrinkage anxiety recorded in Africa, Asia and Europe, and in the United States and Europe it is commonly called genital retraction syndrome. It is diagnosed through psychological assessment together with a physical examination to rule out a genuine disorder of the genitals; the word koro was borrowed from Malay and means the head of a turtle or tortoise, referring to how the head looks when retracted into the shell.