<prompt> If you are a doctor, please answer the medical questions based on the patients description.MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN HAVING EDEMA IN BOTH ANKLES AND SEVERE KNEE PAIN FOR A MONTH NOW. WENT TO RHEUMATOLIGIST YESTERDAY AND HE ASPIRATED THE FLUID IN KNEE WITH RESULTS OF 2500--DREW BLOOD AND TOOK XRAYS OF KNEES AND ANKLES. MY HUSBAND IS ALREADY SUFFERRING FROM COPD-EMPHYSEMA AND ASBESTAS PLEURISY AND NO ONE WII TELL US ANYTHING--I HAVE SOME MEDICAL BACKGROUND AND THE DR SAID WHEN HE DID SLIDE IT LOOKED AROUND 1200 UNTIL HE SENT TO LAB--BOTH HIS PRIMARY AND PULMONOLOGIST SAY HE IS A VERY POOR CANIDATE FOR KNEE REPLACEMENT BUT COULD THIS BE SOMETHING ELSE? IT S GOING TO BE A LONG WEEKEND IF I DON T GET SOME ANSWERS. THANKYOU.  <response>: Hi your husband has severe pain in the knee joint and swelling of both ankles. Knee joint has been aspirated. He is a known case of COPD with Asbestos is. This is most likely to be COPD related swelling in ankles with Osteoarthritis in the knee joint. I would not advise a knee replacement in view of his present condition of lungs. You can start paracetamol as painkiller physical therapy for the knee joint. For ankle joint, follow the advice given by your rheumatologist. 