Spontaneous vascular neoplasms in aged Sprague-Dawley rats

Primary benign and malignant vascular neoplasms occurred spontaneously in 8 of 710 male (1.1%) and 4 of 710 female (0.6%) Crl:CD Br strain Sprague-Dawley rats employed in two 2-yr oncogenicity studies (1,400) and as controls in a 1-yr toxicity study (20). Four of 13 neoplasms were found in the spleen; skin and kidney each had 2 neoplasms. Single vascular neoplasms were in the liver, testicle, uterus, mesenteric lymph node, and vagina. Hemangioma was more common (5 males, 2 females) than hemangiosarcoma (3 males, 2 females). Vascular neoplasms were considered the cause of death in 2 females, both with hemangiosarcomas involving the spleen or kidney. One male had 2 primary hemangiomas in separate organs. Vascular neoplasms are infrequently reported [1/82 females (1.2%), 1961; 9/880 both sexes (1.0%), 1985] in this rat strain. The incidence of vascular neoplasms of this report was higher in males (9) than in females (4), in contrast to incidences reported in the literature.