Abstract
The Sri Lanka Journal of Psychiatry (SLJP) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal published bi annually by the Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists.The Journal publishes original papers, brief reports including case reports and commentaries relevant to psychiatry and allied sciences. The Sri Lanka Journal of Psychiatry is committed to maintaining and conforming to the editorial and ethical standards recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.Cover“Perseverance”. These tenacious fishermen in Mannar continue their livelihood despite numerous difficulties. L. N. P. Samarasinghe, Acting Consultant Psychiatrist, Base Hospital Nikaweratiya, Sri Lanka.
Highlights
Culture-bound syndromes are folk ailments unique to certain cultures, where alterations of behavior are found to be prominent [1]
Koro is a culture bound syndrome in which the affected individual believes that the genitalia is shrinking, retracting or vanishing [2]
Affected person strongly believe that their genitalia are shrinking which leads to impotence, sterility and eventual death [2]
Summary
Culture-bound syndromes are folk ailments unique to certain cultures, where alterations of behavior are found to be prominent [1]. A 30-year old recently married taxi driver from Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka presented to a psychiatrist in the private sector, with a week’s history of persistent, severe anxiety about his penis shrinking into the abdomen He had asked his wife several times to keep pulling his penis to prevent it getting retracted. He suffered from insomnia, lethargy, lack of interest and fear of death as a consequence of the belief about the retracting penis He had married his 23-year old wife 2 months back, and had experienced erectile failure and premature ejaculation on a number of occasions. A forty-year old single, unemployed male who was diagnosed and on treatment for schizophrenia presented with a firm belief that his penis was vanishing into his abdomen for one month He had attempted to prevent the disappearance of his genitalia by tying his penis with pieces of cloth. The patient attended follow up clinics and recovered from the condition
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