ABSTRACT
Qualitative assessment of regional function is well described and forms an integral part of every echo. Echocardiography offer an insight into the detailed local function of the myocardium and provide quantification of regional function. To assess the regional function of a segment of myocardium the ideal measure would be contractility — the ability of a segment of heart muscle to develop a force. The observation that there is a fixed pattern of speckles within the myocardium is well recognised. The speckle tracking, overlaid on the greyscale image, helps the eye follow the motion of small parts of the myocardium. Speckle tracking may develop an important role in the assessment of ischaemic heart disease. Speckle tracking has an emerging role in the assessment of cardiomyopathies. It offers a further detailed regional quantification of the disease state. Speckle tracking offers a fast and relatively user-independent method to quantify local myocardial mechanics.
