Variant right hepatic artery forming Moynihan’s hump – clinical relevance

Variations in the arterial supply of extrahepatic biliary apparatus are known. In a study done on extrahepatic biliary apparatus on 60 cadavers at Seth G.S. Medical College and K.E.M. Hospital, Mumbai, India, during the period 2005–2008, we found a variant course of right hepatic artery forming a caterpillar hump (Moynihan’s hump) on the undersurface of liver, before entering the porta hepatis. This unusual bend in the artery may make it prone to injuries during surgical procedures performed in this region like laparoscopic cholecystectomy, liver transplantation, etc., if due care is not taken.