[Visualized analysis of knowledge map for traditional Chinese medicine prevention and treatment of pulmonary nodules...

This study aims to analyze the current status and development trend of the prevention and treatment of pulmonary nodules(PN) with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) based on knowledge map and to provide both references and suggestions for future research directions. CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed were searched for relevant papers from the inception to December 31, 2021. Eligible articles were included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The line chart was drawn based on the annual publication volume of articles, and the research interests of this field were learned. The knowledge maps of prevention and treatment of PN with TCM were drawn in CiteSpace 5.8.R1, and the authors, institutions, contents, and hotspots were analyzed. A total of 122 articles were included and the line chart demonstrated that the annual publication volume has been rising since 2018. According to the knowledge maps, the most prolific author was ZHANG Xiao-mei and there were four main research teams. Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and its affiliated hospitals were in a leading position in this field. The main research contents were disease, pathogenesis, and treatment, and the hotspots were data mining and TCM syndrome. The research on prevention and treatment of PN with TCM has become an increasing field of interest in recent years. In the future, the cross-regional cooperation and communication between research teams and institutions should be strengthened for more real-world studies and basic studies about the prevention and treatment of PN with TCM, so that the high-level evidence can be obtained and the underlying mechanisms of TCM formulae in the treatment of PN be clarified.