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Inflammatory and immune pathways in Ménière's disease: a multi-database bibliometric and visualized analysis of
Yingfu Zhou1, Jiahui Xiong2, Yong Huang1
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Background:
Ménière's disease (MD) is a chronic inner ear disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of vertigo, fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness. Growing evidence indicates that aberrant immune regulation, inflammation, and allergic reactions are involved in the development of MD. However, a systematic synthesis of the current research landscape and evolving hotspots in this field remains lacking.
Methods:
Publications concerning immune-inflammatory mechanisms in MD published between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus databases. Bibliometric and visual analyses were performed using R-bibliometrix, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Python.
Results:
A total of 868 publications were included in this study, with annual output showing a sustained upward trend. The United States, China, and Italy were the major contributing countries. Core journals and research teams in this field have been predominantly concentrated in the areas of otology, neuro-otology, and vestibular medicine. Research hotspots have progressively shifted from clinical phenotypes, endolymphatic hydrops, and local therapeutic interventions toward immune-inflammatory mechanisms, encompassing cytokine networks, innate immune signaling, allergy-related pathways, and imaging-based phenotypes. Among these, the IL-1β/TNF-α axis, the NF-κB/TLR signaling pathway, and IgE-mediated immune responses have emerged as prominent research directions.
Conclusions:
This study systematically delineates the global research landscape, knowledge structure, and evolving hotspots in the field of immune-inflammatory research in MD. The findings highlight major research themes and emerging trends, providing a comprehensive research landscape that may help prioritize future investigations into disease mechanisms, biomarker validation, patient stratification, and immune-targeted therapeutic approaches in MD.