Unusual migration of fractured ERCP guidewire: A case report

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) routinely uses hydrophilic guidewires to cannulate ducts and traverse stenoses. Fracture of these guidewires have been reported, however, migration of these fractured fragments is an extremely rare occurrence that has yet to be reported in the literature. We present a case of a fractured ERCP guidewire with extensive migration in the retroperitoneal and lower extremity soft tissues and vasculature with radiologic correlation across multiple modalities-MRI, CT, and radiographs-as well as pathologic correlation. This case illustrates a rare but serious complication of ERCP and demonstrates the imaging findings associated with it.