Objective To investigate the role of hypertension in the pathogenesis of cerebral aneurysms in rats.Methods Twenty spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) and 10 Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were included in this observational study. Animals were fed with normal diet and drinking water. No experimental modifications were undertaken in either group. They were sacrificed at one year of age, the bifurcations of the circle of Willis were dissected and longitudinal serial sections were prepared for light microscopic and transmission electron microscopic study.Results In the SHR group, 2 of the 20 rats formed an aneurysm respectively at the bifurcations of the basilar artery. As revealed by electron microscopy, injury at the bifurcation of the artery first occurred on the steeper side of the intimal pad. Furthermore, loss of endothelial cells, small depressions on the intima, disruptive internal elastic lamina and lymphocytes or red blood cells infiltration were noted at the steeper side of the intimal pad. No significant changes were observed in WKY group.Conclusions Cerebral aneurysms can form spontaneously in SHR without ligation of the common carotid artery and without a diet containing β-aminoproprionitrile. Long-standing systemic arterial hypertension is one of the etiological factors that contributes to aneurysm formation in SHR rats.