Emerging trends and hot spots in subacute thyroiditis research from 2001 to 2022: A bibliometric analysis

Abstract

BackgroundSubacute thyroiditis (SAT) is the most prevalent self-limiting thyroid disease that causes pain, accounting for about 5% of all clinical thyroid disorders. Numerous clinically noteworthy results have been published in this area over the last 20 years. However, no article has comprehensively assessed the relevant literature yet. We conducted a bibliometric analysis of SAT to provide light on the dynamic nature of scientific advancement and aid researchers in gaining a global perspective while examining research core themes and hotspots.MethodsSAT-related articles and reviews from 2001 to 2022 were retrieved from the Science Citation Index-Expanded of Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). We analyzed current research trends and hotspots in this area using CiteSpace and Vosviewer.ResultsA total of 568 studies associated with SAT research were published in 282 academic journals by 2,473 authors in 900 institutions from 61 countries/regions. The United States was a crucial link in inter-country/region collaboration and was the most frequently involved country in international cooperation. The University of Missouri System was the top organization, and Braley-Mullen H. was the most productive researcher. Thyroid published the most papers, with 36 publications. The most co-cited article was “Clinical features and outcome of subacute thyroiditis in an incidence cohort: Olmsted County, Minnesota, study” (by Fatourechi V., 2003). The clustered network and timeline view of keywords showed that the prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of SAT were the research core themes during the past 20 years. Analysis of keyword bursts indicated that the clinical characteristic and the influence of COVID-19 on SAT appeared to be the current research hotspots.ConclusionThis bibliometric analysis conducted a thorough review of the SAT research. The clinical characteristics and the genetic background of SAT under the influence of COVID-19 are current research hotspots. However, there is still a need for further study and global collaboration. Our findings can aid researchers in understanding the current status of SAT research and immediately pinpoint new directions for further investigation.

Global research trend and hotspot in the low FODMAP diet: a bibliometric analysis

“…CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Scimago Graphica are commonly used bibliometric and visualization software platforms [ 16 ]. CiteSpace is a Java program created by Professor Chaomei Chen to analyze and visualize trends and patterns in scientific publications [ 17 ].…”

Analyzing fulminant myocarditis research trends and characteristics using the follower-leading clustering algorithm (FLCA): A bibliometric study

“…[19–21] While some research [12] has been conducted on the focus and thematic trends of fulminant myocarditis using CiteSpace [22] and VOSviewer, [23] there are certain limitations that need to be addressed in future studies. These limitations include the absence of cluster analysis to classify article themes and features, a lack of clarity in the author cocitation network related to FM, such as the utilization of timeline view, [24] time zone view, [25] and dual-map overlay of journals [26] using CiteSpace software, [17] and the absence of dashboard-type visualizations to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of FM’s development over the past several decades. To date, no improvements have been made in bibliometrics to address these drawbacks and enhance the quality and depth of research on FM.…”