[Analysis of the current research status and trends in retinal vein occlusion based on bibliometrics]

Objective: To assess the current research status of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and to explore its research trends and hotspots based on bibliometrics. Methods: A bibliometric study was conducted on April 25, 2024, retrieving articles from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and Web of Science Core Collection covering 2014 to 2023. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Microsoft Excel were used for visualization and analysis of annual publications, country distribution, author productivity, journals, cited references, and keywords. Results: A total of 1 929 articles in Chinese and 2 764 international publications were identified. The ophthalmology journals dominated the publication venues. Retina-The Journal of Retinal and Vitreous Diseases published the highest number of foreign-language articles (n=178), accounting for 6.44% of the international literature analyzed. International Eye Science published the highest number of Chinese-language articles (n=140), accounting for 7.26% of the Chinese literature analyzed. Research on RVO followed an interdisciplinary development pattern, with research hotspots primarily focused on ophthalmology, molecular biology, and immunology. The U.S. produced the largest volume of papers (659), followed by China (481), while France achieved the highest citation impact (average 28.19 citations per article). Akitaka Tsujikawa was the most prolific foreign author (41 papers, 479 citations, average 10.89 citations per paper). The keyword analysis extracted 373 and 823 keywords from the Chinese and foreign literature, respectively, with major bursts in 2015 and 2020. The early studies focused on clinical and pathological features; recent research emphasized molecular mechanisms, novel drugs, and therapies. The keyword clustering identified 17 and 6 significant clusters in the Chinese and foreign literature, respectively. The topics such as macular edema, ranibizumab, vascular endothelial growth factor, and quality of life emerged in 2015 and remained as central priorities. Conclusion: RVO and macular edema are primary research foci both domestically and internationally. Macular edema, ranibizumab, vascular endothelial growth factor, and quality of life have become enduring hotspots within the field of RVO research over the past decade.