The internal carotid artery system in swine has a special anatomic configuration similar to a brain "arterial-arterial malformation." The internal carotid artery breaks up into a multitude of fine channels (rete mirabile) situated at the base of the skull on the side of the hypophysis. This anatomic arterial model was used to analyze acute and chronic angiographic and histological changes after occlusion of the rete mirabile with I) avitene, II) avitene, and 50% ethanol, III) avitene, 30% ethanol and Polyvinyl alcohol, IV) avitene 50% ethanol and Polyvinyl alcohol, V) IBCA and VI) silk. Histopathological changes observed in the rete mirabile six weeks following occlusion demonstrated that a mixture of avitene, 30% ethanol and Polyvinyl alcohol and IBCA produced the best anatomic results. Embolization with avitene, PVA and ethanol induced a more bland histological reaction than the one observed with IBCA. Preliminary clinical experience with this mixture is reassuring in those cases in which the AVM was surgically resected. The partially thrombosed AVM was easily depressed and compressed by the neurosurgeon allowing for satisfactory hemostasis in and around the nidus of the AVM.