Cannabis-Induced Koro-Like Syndrome

Kalaitzi, C; Kalantzis, Athanasios

doi:10.1159/000091634

Cited by 13 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…24 Two examples of druginduced Koro syndrome have also been reported in a case involving cannabis and alcohol-induced hepatitis. 25,26 The example of alcoholic hepatitis induced Koro syndrome also involved a urinary tract infection which is consistent with other physical risk factors involving problems with the urogenital system. 26…”

Section: Psychiatric Risk Factors and Comorbiditiessupporting

confidence: 75%

Koro Syndrome: Epidemiology, Psychiatric and Physical Risk Factors, Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options

Strong

Cao

Zhou

et al. 2023

Health Psychology Research

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Koro syndrome is a multi-tiered disease presenting as an overwhelming belief that one’s sex organs are shrinking into their body. Moderate to severe anxiety attacks are associated with the condition, along with a fear of imminent death. Koro is often culturally related and is most seen as an epidemic form in East and Southeast Asia, although it can present anywhere worldwide in its sporadic form. The condition typically affects young males who believe in sex-related myths, and many individuals can co-present with anxiety, depression, or even psychosis. Although most presentations of Koro are self-limiting, the condition is harmful for one’s self-esteem and quality of life, and some individuals may go through extreme, physically injurious measures to prevent genital retraction. Treatments include the use of psychotherapy that has a sex education component, especially if the patient believes in culturally rooted myths. In sporadic Koro, it is believed that if the primary psychiatric disorder is treated with anxiolytics, antidepressants, sedatives, or psychotics, the secondary Koro-like symptoms will also fade. Additional investigation on the prevalence, pathogenesis, factors that correlate with treatment efficacy are needed to fully understand Koro syndrome.

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Section: Psychiatric Risk Factors and Comorbiditiessupporting

confidence: 75%

Koro Syndrome: Epidemiology, Psychiatric and Physical Risk Factors, Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options

Strong

Cao

Zhou

et al. 2023

Health Psychology Research

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“…2 The onset of Koro is often associated with cannabis, alcohol, amphetamine intoxication, or heroin withdrawal. 3,18,46 Even a one-time use of cannabis can induce a severely distressing mental health condition such as Koro. 47…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given the evolution of its classification, both conceptual and descriptive inadequacies are found in the DSM's definition; therefore, there is a need for further debate about what constitutes an "exotic deviance". 8,46,[51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59] Etiologies, Formulation, and Models Koro has been described as a condition that is caused by the devil, especially in Southeast Asia. Indeed, past studies have shown that laypeople implicitly believe that Koro is a state of demonic possession.…”

Section: Classification and Diagnostic Associationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Classical Koro and Koro-Like Symptoms: Illustration from Canada

Stip

Nguyen

Bertulies-Esposito

et al. 2021

Journal of Psychosexual Health

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Koro syndrome has been colorfully described as a pathological distortion of one’s body image of the genital organ. In Koro, body image dysphoria is characterized by severe anxiety related to the delusional idea that one’s genitals will shrink and retract into one’s abdomen, eventually leading to death. This syndrome was first reported in South East Asia, where endemics have been described, but it has also sporadically occurred globally. We present a systematic literature review on Koro syndrome and report 7 cases from Canada. A search review with PubMed and Google Scholar resulted in 504 entries. Sixty-seven manuscripts were eventually selected following a thorough elimination process. The resultant literature underscored the cultural diversity that underlay the reported cases. Various aspects of Koro have been examined (eg, etiological, clinical, diagnostic, and cultural aspects). It has stimulated substantial scholarly debate, discussions, correspondences, and arguments from anthropological, psychiatric, psychological, and biological perspectives. In our series, it seems that Koro could have been misattributed here. The primary concern was not with penile retraction of the cases. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a series of cases is documented from North America where the syndrome is often ignored. We highlight the potential differences between the classical Koro syndrome and a collection of beliefs related to the perception or delusion of penile retraction in other codable psychiatric disorders, Koro-like syndrome. Understanding Koro syndrome beyond geographic boundaries is in line with our collected case reports of Koro from outside Asia.

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Koro: Definition, Etymology, and Clinical Features

Chowdhury

2021

Koro

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Cannabis-Induced Koro-Like Syndrome

Cited by 13 publications

References 42 publications

Koro Syndrome: Epidemiology, Psychiatric and Physical Risk Factors, Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options

Koro Syndrome: Epidemiology, Psychiatric and Physical Risk Factors, Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options

Classical Koro and Koro-Like Symptoms: Illustration from Canada

Koro: Definition, Etymology, and Clinical Features

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