Knowledge Mapping of Intracranial Artery Dissection: A Bibliometric Analysis (2014-2024)

Intracranial artery dissection (IAD) is a rare but serious vascular disease predominantly affecting young and middle-aged individuals. This condition is marked by a high incidence and significant disability rate. The increasing number of affected patients underscores the growing attention that the pathogenesis and treatment of IAD are receiving from scholars worldwide. However, there is currently no bibliometric analysis available in this research domain. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge structure and research hotspots of IAD through the use of bibliometrics.

Articles about intracranial arterial dissection published from 2014 to 2024 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Microsoft Excel were employed for bibliometric analysis.

In total, 943 articles from 67 countries and 1,448 institutions were included, with a particular focus on the United States and China. The number of publications showed an overall incremental trend, peaking in 2020. Capital Medical University, Mayo Clinic, Pusan National University, and University of California, San Francisco were the main research institutions. "World Neurosurgery" was the most popular journal in this field, while "Stroke" was the most commonly cited journal. Lawton Michael, Lanzino Giuseppe, and Yang Xinjian possessed the highest number of publications, with Debette being the most frequently cited author. "Dissection" and "stroke" were the most common keywords. Studies mainly focused on imaging-based diagnosis, vascular diseases, treatments, and complications. "Large vessel occlusion" "outcome" and "prevalence" were recent research hot topics.

This is the first bibliometric study that comprehensively summarizes the research trends in the field of intracranial artery dissection. We identified recent research frontiers and hot topics, providing a reference for researchers focusing on this field.