School: Medical and Health Sciences

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Ultrasound Superficial Structures and Small Parts
  • Unit Code

    SON2102
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Ms Shani WATTS

Description

This unit focuses on the ultrasound assessment of superficial structures such as thyroid and salivary glands, lymph nodes, eyes, male and female breast and superficial lumps. The aetiology and pathophysiology of diseases of superficial structures will be explored. Students will attain scanning skills of the thyroid gland in ultrasound simulation labs. Students work collaboratively to investigate the impact of age, gender and ethnicity upon the prevalence of superficial structures and disease, with emphasis upon the impact among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This unit prepares students for integration into an ultrasound environment through development of practical scanning skills of superficial structures.

Prerequisite Rule

SON1101 Sectional Anatomy and Comparative Imaging 1 SON1201 Sectional Anatomy and Comparative Imaging 2 SON1102 Introduction to Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound

Co-Requisite Rule

SON2101 Ultrasound Physics and Instruments

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Describe the aetiology and pathophysiology of disease of superficial structures in ultrasound images.
  2. Demonstrate safe operation and ultrasound scanning skills of superficial structures in the neck at novice level (as described by the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry Professional Competency Standards).
  3. Discuss differential diagnosis and the prevalence of disease in superficial structures in diverse populations, with particular reference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples.
  4. Work respectfully and collaboratively to achieve shared goals in professional teams.

Unit Content

  1. Anatomy and physiology of superficial structures, their pathologies, differential diagnosis and prevalence of disease related to age, sex and ethnicity with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples. Includes thyroid and parathyroid, lymph nodes, breast, eye, common superficial lumps.
  2. Ultrasound scanning techniques of thyroid, parathyroid and salivary glands, male and female breast, eyes, superficial lumps and lymph nodes of the neck and axilla.
  3. Clinical presentation and ultrasound appearance of subcutaneous and intramuscular foreign bodies, including Implanon, IPCC lines and superficial electronic implants.
  4. Common image artefacts and their mitigation during ultrasound examination.
  5. Desired attributes and behaviours for collaboration in professional teams.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 3 hour labNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

Students will attain scanning skills of the thyroid gland in simulation labs. Teamwork capabilities will be further developed through collaborative case-study analysis and reporting.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
TestBody system knowledge tests40%
Viva ^Scanning Skill Practical Assessment30%
ReportWritten Report on Differential Diagnoses of Breast Pathology using a case study approach30%

^ Mandatory to Pass


Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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