Primary hepatic carcinoid tumor (PHCT) is a extremely rare neoplasm, usually lacking specific symptoms. We present a histologically proved case and review the cases in the literature. The patient was an 65-year-old man with right upper abdominal pain and weight loss who underwent exploratory laparotomy for huge mass of the liver. Ultrasonography showed a well-demarked, cystic mass with irregular thick wall, whereas CT revealed a low-density tumor in nephrographic phase and peripheral enhanced areas in artery phase. He was diagnosed as PHCT by histological findings including positive staining of tumor cells for chromogranin A and synaptophysin, and no evidence of other primary source of tumor. Thus, a patient with this type of mass showed by imaging examination should be suspected of PHCT, for it is of great importance to clinical treatment.