Objectives: To report various descriptions of the combination of a benign genital tumour with pleural and/or abdominal effusion throughout the years and to determine the paternity of this syndrome, commonly known as Meigs' syndrome.
Methods: A systematic review of the literature from 1728 to 2004.
Results: Before 1880, publications were rare and limited to clinical and anatomical descriptions drawing no conclusions between the cause and effect of this condition and even less about its management. Demons described the syndrome between 1887 and 1902. He was the first to specify that removal of the tumour (benign ovarian cyst, solid ovarian tumour, fibroma of the broad ligament) was essential for the patient to be cured of the effusions and that it was wrong to postpone surgery. In 1937, Meigs arrived at the same findings concerning ovarian fibromas and granulosa cell tumours, hence the name of Demons-Meigs which was given to this syndrome with the agreement of Meigs. Current literature reports on pseudosyndromes of Demons-Meigs including genital malignancies with negative cytology. These entities should not be called Demons or Meigs pseudosyndromes. Inversely, all benign tumours of the genital tract should be included in Demons syndrome, even if Demons did not actually encounter any during his years of practice, but it was in the spirit of his observations.
Conclusion: Demons' syndrome includes all benign genital tumours, the Demons-Meigs eponym is reserved for the description of ovarian fibromas and granulosa cell tumours, and the Demons' pseudosyndrome includes all other entities.