Puncture angle on an endoscopic ultrasound image is independently associated with unsuccessful guidewire manipulation of endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy: a retrospective study in Japan

Background/Aims Although endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HGS) is performed globally, the procedure remains challenging. Guidewire manipulation is the most difficult step, and there are few reports on the factors associated with unsuccessful guidewire manipulation. This study aimed to assess the significance of the puncture angle on EUS images and identify the most effective guidewire rescue method for patients with unsuccessful guidewire manipulation. Methods We retrospectively enrolled 115 patients who underwent EUS-HGS between May 2016 and April 2022 at two centers. The puncture angle between the needle and the intrahepatic bile duct was measured through EUS movie records. Results Guidewire manipulation was unsuccessful in 28 patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves identified an optimal puncture angle cutoff value of 85° (cutoff value, 85°; area under the ROC curve, 0.826; sensitivity, 85.7%; specificity, 81.6%). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that a puncture angle <85° was a significant risk factor for unsuccessful guidewire manipulation (odds ratio, 19.8; 95% confidence interval, 6.42–61.5; p<0.001). Among the 28 unsuccessful cases, 24 patients (85.7%) achieved successful guidewire manipulation using various rescue methods. Conclusions The puncture angle observed on EUS is crucial for guidewire manipulation. A puncture angle of <85° was associated with unsuccessful guidewire manipulation.