Top 100 most-cited articles on echocardiography: A bibliometric analysis

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• Echocardiography, a cornerstone of cardiac assessment since the 1970s, has evolved significantly.
• Bibliometric analysis provides insights into the historical development, applications, and future trends of echocardiography.
• Understanding the impact of echocardiography research is crucial for advancing cardiovascular diagnostics and therapeutics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a bibliometric analysis of the most cited echocardiography research.
• To identify key trends, influential studies, and emerging applications in the field.
• To map the landscape of echocardiography research, highlighting major contributors and publication patterns.

Main Methods:

• Literature retrieval from the Web of Science database.
• Ranking of search results by total citation count.
• Inclusion of the top 100 most-cited articles after abstract review.

Main Results:

• Most impactful studies originated in the USA (66%), conducted by cardiologists (62%), and published in leading cardiology journals.
• Peak publication periods (1995-2004) coincided with advancements in Doppler tissue imaging and speckle tracking.
• Left ventricular structure and function, and valvular heart disease remain core research areas, with recent focus on novel therapies and cardiotoxicity.

Conclusions:

• Echocardiography research is dominated by US-based cardiologists publishing in high-impact journals.
• Technological innovations have driven significant advancements in echocardiography applications.
• Future research will likely leverage echocardiography for evaluating treatment efficacy and managing cardiotoxicity.