Global trends and research hotspots in esophageal strictures: A bibliometric study

Esophageal stricture is a prevalent condition affecting the digestive system, primarily marked by dysphagia and the obstruction of food passage through the esophagus. This narrowing of the esophageal lumen can significantly impact a person's ability to eat and drink comfortably, often leading to a decrease in nutritional intake and quality of life.

To explore the current research status and future trends of esophageal stricture through bibliometric analysis.

Literature on esophageal stricture from 2004 to 2023 was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Statistical analysis was performed using Excel, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and RStudio. This study provides data on annual production trends, countries/regions, influential authors, institutions, journals, references, and keywords.

The study included 1485 publications written by 7469 authors from 1692 institutions across 66 countries/regions, published in 417 journals. The United States, China, and Japan are the major contributors to this field, with many quality papers. Song Ho-young, Diseases of the Esophagus, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and Mayo Clinic are the top authors, journals, co-cited journals, and institutions, respectively. The most frequent keywords are stent, endoscopy, management, etiology, and prevention; regenerative medicine, endoscopic injection, and autologous tissue transplantation are the latest research frontiers. These keywords reflect continuous advancements in technical innovation, treatment strategies, preventive measures in the esophageal stricture research field, and a sustained focus on improving patient prognosis. In contrast, the basic sciences were underrepresented.

This study provides an insightful analysis of the developments in the field of esophageal stricture over the past twenty years, with stent placement is currently a hot research topic.