Trends in dermatologic surgery research over the past decade.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Medical Publishing
• Scientific Communication

Background:

• The field of dermatologic surgery has seen a notable increase in published research.
• Understanding publication trends is crucial for assessing the growth and quality of evidence in dermatologic surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the trends in the number and types of dermatologic surgery publications.
• To compare publication patterns in dermatology versus non-dermatology journals over a decade.

Main Methods:

• A PubMed search for "dermatology" AND "surgery" articles was conducted from 1998 to 2007.
• Publications were categorized by type and journal (dermatology vs. non-dermatology).
• Regression analysis assessed the impact of publication year on publication numbers.

Main Results:

• A total of 7570 publications were identified, with 73% in dermatology journals.
• Overall publications increased linearly, driven mainly by non-dermatology journals.
• Dermatology journals showed an increase in randomized controlled trials, while non-dermatology journals saw growth in lower-quality evidence.

Conclusions:

• Dermatologic surgery research has significantly increased annually.
• High-quality evidence in dermatologic surgery is primarily published in dermatology journals.
• Evidence-based dermatology trends may influence future publication patterns in the field.