A 52-year-old female physician was admitted to hospital because of severe dyspnea and massive pleural effusion. At first, it seemed she may have been suffering from heart failure with an associated malignant disease. The patient was seemingly unaware of her progressive illness. During her hospital stay, it became evident that she was denying the possibility of cancer because of her husband's death from adenocarcinoma of the esophagus three years earlier. The carcinoma was inoperable and he was treated with chemotherapy. The patient was very upset about her husband's untimely death, and his treatment convinced her that she did not want chemotherapy if she was found to have cancer. Fortunately, it was discovered that she had benign cystic teratoma of the ovary with ascites and hydrothorax (Meigs' syndrome).