The 100 most cited papers on thymoma: a bibliometric analysis

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Thoracic Surgery
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• Thymoma is a rare tumor of the thymus gland.
• Understanding research trends is crucial for advancing thymoma treatment.
• Bibliometric analysis provides insights into high-impact research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the 100 most cited articles on thymoma.
• To analyze publication trends and key research areas.
• To highlight future research opportunities in thymoma.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of the Web of Science database.
• Identification and extraction of data from the top 100 most cited thymoma articles.
• Analysis of publication year, citations, author, journal, country, and keywords using VOSviewer.

Main Results:

• Articles published between 1981 and 2018 were analyzed, with citations ranging from 97 to 1182.
• Most top-cited articles were original (75%) and retrospective (52%).
• The United States led in publications and citations; Annals of Thoracic Surgery was the most frequent journal. Keyword analysis revealed focus on thymic carcinoma management, immune-related diseases, and laboratory research.

Conclusions:

• This is the first bibliometric study on thymoma.
• The most cited research predominantly consists of original, retrospective studies.
• Current thymoma research is increasingly focused on immune-related diseases and laboratory investigations.