Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which cardiac involvement is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The conventional echocardiography is not able to fully detect subclinical cardiac dysfunction, while the speckle tracking imaging is a new ultrasound technique for quantitative assessment of myocardial function. This article reviews the research progresses of the speckle tracking imaging technique for evaluating cardiac involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, in order to provide evidence for the clinical diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.