Intraocular sarcomas in two rabbits

Intraocular neoplasms are described in 2 adult rabbits. The left globe of an 8-year-old male rabbit was enucleated after chronic inflammatory disease resulted in a nonvisual eye. The left globe of a 5-year-old female rabbit also was enucleated after a history of lens-induced uveitis, cataract formation, and resultant glaucoma. In both rabbits, histopathology revealed a variably pleomorphic, poorly differentiated, invasive, intraocular spindle cell neoplasm closely associated with lens and lens capsular fragments. Gram stains failed to detect bacterial organisms or Encephalitozoon cuniculi. Polymerase chain reaction assays, used to amplify the 16S RNA gene of numerous bacteria and E. cuniculi, were also negative. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated strong, diffuse expression for vimentin; however, staining for smooth muscle actin, cytokeratin, S100, and desmin were negative. Long-standing intraocular inflammation and/or traumatic insults to the eyes were considered as causes of these neoplasms. The histologic features of these intraocular neoplasms closely resemble post-traumatic ocular sarcomas in cats.