The top 100 most cited articles on bronchoscopy: a bibliometric analysis

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Medical Diagnostics
• Research Trends

Background:

• Bronchoscopy is a key tool for diagnosing and treating lung diseases.
• A significant increase in bronchoscopy research has occurred over recent decades.
• Characteristics and quality of this extensive body of research remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the characteristics and trends of the most influential research in bronchoscopy.
• To identify key themes and publication patterns in high-impact bronchoscopy studies.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple Web of Science databases (1990-2020).
• The top 100 most cited articles on bronchoscopy were selected for analysis.
• Methods included degree centrality analysis, examining publication time, citations, author, journal, origin, and research themes.

Main Results:

• Most cited articles were published in the 1990s and 2000s, with citations ranging from 196 to 731.
• The USA and the United Kingdom were the leading countries of origin.
• Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and biopsy were the most frequent research themes, with specific diagnostic approaches evolving over time.

Conclusions:

• The analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the temporal, geographic, and thematic distribution of highly cited bronchoscopy research.
• Current high-impact research predominantly focuses on bronchoalveolar lavage and various biopsy techniques.