Applications of ultrasound in autoimmune diseases: a bibliometric study (2008-2024)

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) are chronic inflammatory disorders characterised by systemic or organ-specific immune hyperactivation. Ultrasound (US), a radiation-free, cost-effective, and operator-friendly imaging modality, holds significant potential for clinical management of ADs. This study aims to map the global research landscape of US in ADs through bibliometric analysis.

English-language articles and reviews were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace was used for cluster analysis and burst detection of research; VOSviewer generated co-occurrence networks; Biblioshiny R package visualised contributions by countries, institutions, authors, journals, citations, and keywords.

A total of 1333 publications (2008-2024) were analysed. France emerged as the leading contributor in influence metrics, with Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris as the central collaborative hub. Key researchers included Craig Sable, Andrea Beaton, and Emmy Okello. Core journals were Echocardiography-a Journal of Cardiovascular Ultrasound and Allied Techniques and Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology. Current research priorities focus on rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), while glandular and intestinal ultrasonography show emerging potential.

Over the past 16 years, US has demonstrated versatile roles in ADs, validating its clinical utility. Future priorities include reducing the disease burden of RHD and advancing precision medicine in RA through US-guided strategies.