Mapping Mucormycosis Research: A 25-Year Bibliometric Analysis of Medical Literature

This bibliometric study aimed to analyze global research trends on mucormycosis using medical literature indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database between 2000 and 2024. Publication output over time, country contributions, international collaboration, funding sources, influential keywords, leading institutions, active journals, and the most cited articles were evaluated.

A comprehensive search of Web of Science Core Collection (Science Citation Index Expanded and Emerging Sources Citation Index) was conducted using title-based keywords related to mucormycosis and its etiological agents. English-language articles within the medical domain were included. Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel, and bibliometric network visualizations were generated with VOSviewer (version 1.6.19).

According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria a total of 2936 publications between 2000 and 2024 were included in the analysis. The number of publications on mucormycosis increased significantly over the past two decades, with pronounced peaks in 2021 and 2022, likely associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The most frequently cited article was Epidemiology and Clinical Manifestations of Mucormycosis, with 872 citations. The United States, India, and China were the most prolific countries. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was the most frequently cited institution, and Cureus was the journal with the highest number of publications. Keyword analysis showed strong associations between mucormycosis and COVID-19, diabetes, and antifungal therapeutics.

The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a surge of mucormycosis cases and related research activity, particularly among patients with uncontrolled diabetes and those receiving corticosteroid therapy. The growing population of immunocompromised patients and the increasing use of immunosuppressive treatments are likely to continue to drive global research interest in mucormycosis. These findings highlight the need for interdisciplinary and international collaboration to address this emerging public health challenge.