Definition: A culture-specific acute delusional syndrome occurring mostly in the Malay people and Southern Chinese. The syndrome is characterized by the individual's sudden experience of depersonalization depicted by the belief that his penis is shrinking into his abdomen and that he will die when this occurs. Although generally classified as a culture-specific syndrome, koro may be no more than a variant of castration anxiety (ANXIETY, CASTRATION) as it has been described in non-Asian patients.
a depersonalization disord; do not confuse with KURU, a neurol dis; specify ethnic group (IM) if pertinent; check tag MALE
