The Top-100 Most-Cited Articles on Meningioma

A bibliometric analysis of the 100 most-cited clinical articles in the research of intracranial artery stenosis and intracranial atherosclerosis

Background

Intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS), caused by intracranial atherosclerosis, is one of the major causes of ischemic stroke. This study identified the top 100 most-cited publications on ICAS through a bibliometric analysis.

Methods

Two independent authors conducted a search in the Web of Science database for clinical articles on ICAS published between 1993 and 2022. The top 100 most-cited articles were then extracted. For each article, the analysis covered the title, author, country of origin/affiliation, journal, total number of citations, number of citations per year, and type of study.

Results

The top 100 most-cited papers in the ICAS were authored by 565 authors from 12 countries and published in 29 journals. In terms of the 5-year trend, the largest number of papers were published between 2003 and 2007 (n = 31). The median number of citations for the 100 papers was 161 (range 109-1,115). The journal with the highest proportion of the 100 most published articles was Stroke, accounting for 41% of articles and 37% of the citations. According to country of origin, the United States of America accounted for the largest number of articles, followed by China, Japan, and South Korea, with these four countries together accounting for 81% of the total number of articles and 88% of the citations. Trends in the past five years included the use of terms such as acute ischemic stroke and mechanical thrombectomy.

Conclusion

The findings of this study provide novel insight into this field and will facilitate future research endeavors.

Hotspots and Trends in Meningioma Research Based on Bibliometrics, 2011-2021

BACKGROUND

Meningiomas, the most prevalent benign intracranial neoplasms, have been studied extensively for many years, but significant problems remain. To date, there is a scarcity of detailed studies elucidating the hotspots and future directions of meningiomas research.

METHODS

A comprehensive search and screening strategy was used to collect relevant studies published between 2011 and 2021 in the Web of Science Core Collection database. Thorough and systematic coauthorship and co-occurrence keyword maps were generated, and tables of statistics summarizing countries, organizations, authors, and keywords were created.

RESULTS

A total of 1544 articles meeting the screening criteria were collected. The countries producing the most publications between 2011 and 2021 were the United States, Germany, and China, with 586, 244, and 197 records, repectively. The cooperation networks also revolved mainly around these 3 countries, particularly the United States. The most frequently used keyword was "surgery," followed by "recurrence" and "management," with the frequencies of 248, 212, and 163, respectively. The most prominent cluster during the last decade was the #0 methylation cluster, and several keywords, including "survival," "brain invasion," and "magnetic resonance imaging," exhibited significant burst strength.

CONCLUSIONS

This study aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the research landscape and to identify potential research directions. Our findings disclose productive individuals and institutions. The current research focuses on the molecular pathology of meningiomas, improvements in techniques, and advances in diagnosis by magnetic resonance imaging. In particular, the improvements in molecular pathology might direct future research directions.

The Top 100 Classical and Contemporary Papers on Elbow Surgery: A Trend Analysis of Elbow Surgery Literature

INTRODUCTION

Bibliometric analyses provide an aggregate of the most frequently cited literature in a given field. The purpose of this study was to analyze the top 100 most-cited classical and contemporary papers relating to elbow surgery to serve as a reference for surgeons and trainees for educational and research purposes.

METHODS

A search was conducted for all papers containing the term "elbow" in the categories Orthopedics, Surgery, and Sports Science in the Clarivate Web of Science. Classical papers were those published from 1980 to 2009, and contemporary papers were those published from 2010 to 2019. Articles were assessed by country of origin, authors and their credentials, parent journal, level of evidence, and topic.

RESULTS

Citation frequency ranged from 86 to 867. Among the classical group, there were more level IV papers compared with level I papers; however, the opposite was true in the contemporary group. The most common topic in the classical group was elbow anatomy and function, and the most common topic in the contemporary group was lateral epicondylitis and medial epicondylitis and associated therapies.

DISCUSSION

This bibliometric analysis serves to help guide surgeons and trainees on the highly cited articles and important topics in elbow surgery, demonstrating a shift to prospective randomized controlled trials in recent years.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V (Systematic Review with Level V as Lowest LOE).

The 100 Most-Cited Articles on Optic Neuritis: Trends of Subtypes, Authorship, and Time

BACKGROUND

Optic neuritis (ON) is an optic nerve inflammation that may lead to different degrees of vision loss. In recent decades, ON research facilitated a better understanding of the disease and its subtypes. This bibliometric analysis aimed to detect the 100 most-cited medical articles related to ON in the last 50 years (1972-2021) and describe publication trends arising from the list.

METHODS

The Scopus database was used to locate and screen the 100 most influential ON papers based on the number of citations per article. Each entry was reviewed for the first author (name, gender, institution, and country), year of publication, journal, number of citations, ON subtype, and study design. The mean impact factor (IF) of each journal was calculated.

RESULTS

The median number of citations was 265 (range 182-2,396). Observational studies on neuromyelitis optica-associated ON were the most common (27%), and the most influential decade was 2002-2011 (54 papers). Seventy-nine percent of articles were published in neurology journals, and a positive correlation between the mean number of citations per article and the journal mean IF was observed ( r = 0.62, P < 0.001). Between 2009 and 2021, female authors led more ON studies (52%), and more publications originated outside the USA (68%), compared with previous years.

CONCLUSIONS

This analysis summarizes the impact and shifting trends of ON research in the last decades.

Advances and trends in meningioma research over the last decade: A scientometric and visual analysis

Objective

We conducted a scientometric and visual analysis of meningioma studies in the past ten years and discussed the current status and trends of meningioma research to provide a reference basis for conducting relevant clinical practice or research.

Method

A search of the topic of meningioma in the Web of Science Core Collection database was conducted for January 2012-December 2021. The scientometric tools CiteSpace (version 5.8.R3), VOS viewer (version 1.6.17), and the Bibliometrix package of R software (version 4.2.1) were used to visualize and analyze the country of publication, institution, author, keywords, and cited literature of meningioma.

Results

A total of 10,397 documents related to meningioma were collected, of which 6,714 articles were analyzed. The annual analysis shows an increase in published articles, with an annual growth rate of 8.9%. 26,696 authors from 111 countries or regions were involved in publishing relevant studies. The country with the highest number of publications was the United States (1671), and the institution with the highest number of publications was the University of California, San Francisco (242). The keyword clustering of current studies can be grouped into five groups: meningioma characteristics and basic research, surgical treatment, radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, and management of complications. Keyword trend analysis shows that meningioma classification and molecular characteristics are emerging hotspots for meningioma research in recent years.

Conclusion

The scientometric and visual analysis demonstrated the research status and trends of meningioma. Over the past decade, meningioma research has focused on managing meningiomas with a predominance of surgical treatment and radiation therapy. At the same time, meningioma classification and molecular characteristics are emerging as current and possible research hotspots in the coming period.

The 100 Most Cited Articles in Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery: A Bibliometric Analysis

BACKGROUND

The accelerated growth of endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery has led to an abundance of highly cited works that have helped shape the field into its current state. Highlighting these works can serve as a guide for trainees and facilitate evidence-based clinical decision making and operative techniques.

METHODS

Elsevier's Scopus database was used to generate a list of the 100 most cited articles on endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery in September 2022. Results were categorized based on pathology, approach, study design, and study objective. A citation per year analysis was conducted to highlight later publications that may not have had the time to accumulate as many citations as older publications.

RESULTS

The average number of citations for the 100 most cited articles was 210 per article (range 104-1285). Publication dates ranged from 1997 to 2019, with the highest number of articles among the 100 most cited being published in 2008 (15 articles). The journal with the greatest number of publications was Neurosurgery (30 articles). Of the 100 most cited articles, 77 were published between 2000 and 2010. Moreover, 40 of the 100 articles reported surgical outcomes and related complications, and the most common pathology was pituitary adenoma (25 articles).

CONCLUSIONS

This article provides a list of highly influential articles in the field of endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery, highlighting its rapid evolution over the last 3 decades and demonstrating its leap from small descriptive series confined to certain pathologies to larger cohorts exploring possible boundaries and other pathologies.

Palliative care for patients with glioma: A recent scientometric analysis of the Web of Science in 2022

Background

Patients with glioma present with complex palliative care needs throughout their disease trajectory. A scientometric analysis is effective and widely used to summarize the most influential studies within a certain field. We present the first scientometric analysis of palliative care for patients with glioma.

Methods

Based on a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) principle, we conducted a generalized search for articles on palliative care for glioma in the Web of Science database and evaluated the top 100 most frequently cited articles among 2,542 articles.

Results

The number of citations for the top 100 cited articles on palliative care for glioma ranged from 10 to 223. We have a narrative conclusion, as follows: most of these articles were published in oncology-specific journals (n = 53) and palliative-specific journals (n = 22). The United States, Australia, and the Netherlands were the top three countries contributing most of the articles (n = 59). Most of the research methods were quantitative analyses, qualitative analyses, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses (n = 70). In quantitative studies, 66 scales were used, and the top three scales used included the following: the Distress Thermometer, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain Index (FACT-Br), and Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS). The articles were classified into six major categories based on research subjects, including patients (n = 44), caregivers (n = 16), patients and caregivers (n = 20), literature (n = 19), and healthcare providers (n = 1). Articles were classified into seven major categories based on research themes: quality of life (n = 11); end-of-life symptoms and care (n = 16); palliative and supportive care needs (n = 35); advance care planning and decision making (n = 4); psychological, social, and spiritual needs (n = 12); hospice utilization and referral (n = 3); and others (n = 19). The studies of the primary topic are correlated with the number of citations.

Conclusions

The results of the analysis indicated that patients diagnosed with glioma present a high variety of palliative care needs, including physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs. The caregiver's burden and needs are important as well. The proportion of quantitative analyses, qualitative analyses, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses is relatively high, but the number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was low. End-of-life care and supportive care needs appeared frequently. Thus, palliative care is an urgent need to be addressed in glioma management. The appropriate scales should be selected for patients with glioma and meet their palliative needs.

The Top 100 Most Cited Scientific Papers in the Public, Environmental & Occupational Health Category of Web of Science: A Bibliometric and Visualized Analysis

(1) Background: The main basis for the public recognition of the merits of scientists has always been the system of scientific publications and citations. Our goal is to identify and analyze the most cited articles in the Public, Environmental & Occupational Health category. (2) Methods: We searched the Web of Science for all articles published in the "Public, Environmental & Occupational Health" category up to March 2022 and selected the 100 most cited articles. We recorded the number of citations, the journal, the year of publication, quartile, impact factor, institution, country, authors, topic, type of publication and collaborations. (3) Results: 926,665 documents were analyzed. The top 100 had 401,620 citations. The journal with the most articles was the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology and the one with the highest number of citations was Medical Care. The year with the highest number of articles in the top 100 was 1998. The country with the highest percentage of publications was the USA and the most productive institution was Harvard. The most frequent keywords were bias, quality, and extension. The largest collaboration node was between the USA, Canada, Germany, Spain, Australia, France, and Sweden. (4) Conclusions: This bibliometric study on Public, Environmental & Occupational Health provides valuable information not only to identify topics of interest in the analyzed category, but also to identify the differences in the topics they study.

Bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most-cited articles in neurofibromatosis

Background:

Neurofibromatosis (NF) is an umbrella term that refers to three distinct disease entities: NF Type 1, Type 2, and schwannomatosis. Here, we reviewed the scientific performance and the most influential publications on NF.

Methods:

A keyword-based search was performed using the Scopus database. The top 100 articles were grouped based on NF types and the studied entities. The differences between the articles, authors, and journals were quantified based on certain parameters. Other parameters were collected for the complete citational analysis.

Results:

The top 100 articles were published between 1961 and 2020. The most trending period of research was in the 1990s and articles studying the clinical aspect and the underlying genetic correlation made up 84% of all articles from the list. The United States of America (USA) had the highest number of contributions (69 articles, 69%). The top institute of contribution to the list was the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA (14 articles, 14%). Author-based analysis reveals that the neurologist D. H. Gutmann from St. Louis Children’s Hospital, USA, was the most active and authored 11 articles (11%) on the list.

Conclusion:

The publication trends show that articles studying medical and surgical management were of little interest. The top 100 articles did not include any randomized control trials, and the highest level of evidence was obtained from reviews of pooled knowledge as well as population-based and longitudinal studies.

Bibliometric overview of the Top 100 most cited articles on hydrocephalus

Background:

Hydrocephalus is one of the most common brain disorders and numerous articles were published to address the clinical aspect and its management. This study aims to highlight the most influential work on hydrocephalus on bibliometric basis.

Methods:

A thorough search of Scopus database was performed using the word “hydrocephalus.” The 100 most cited articles were retrieved, and variables of importance were collected including the article’s title, 1^st author affiliation, country of origin, year and journal of publication, article’s category, and citation count according to Scopus and Google scholar databases.

Results:

The 100 most cited articles were thoroughly analyzed. Publication dates ranged from 1946 to 2014, with most articles (45) published between 1998 and 2007. The mean number of citations per publication was 201 with total of 20,177 citations. The United States of America contributed half of the articles. The leading institution was the Canadian hospital for Sick Children University of Toronto having published 5 articles. Hydrocephalus in general and normal pressure hydrocephalus was the two major categories addressed with most studies fall under the topic of surgical management. Neurosurgery was the specialty with the greatest contribution (47%). The articles were published in 46 different journals led by the Journal of Neurosurgery with total of 17 articles.

Conclusion:

This bibliometric analysis delineates the landmark publications in hydrocephalus. The listed articles depict the myriad of studied aspects historically which helps in understanding hydrocephalus overall in evidence-based module for neurosurgeons and non-neurosurgeons.

Evaluating the Evidence: Scientometric Analysis of Highly Cited Neurofibromatosis 1 Publications

The study of Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is progressing rapidly. This study aimed to identify historical trends in publications focusing on NF1, to find the top 100 most cited publications on this topic, and to evaluate their level of evidence. This study identifies historical trends in publication regarding NF1 with the aim of providing readers useful information about the areas of research being performed, an educational guide to facilitate novice researchers in conducting effective evidence-based medical research, and unique insight into developments and trends of NF 1 research. This study also evaluates the evidence of highly cited papers on NF1.

A search of all databases and journals accessible within Elsevier's Scopus was performed on June 27th, 2020, using combinations of the Boolean queries "Neurofibromatosis 1," "Von Recklinghausen," and "NF1," which yielded 13,599 documents. The top 100 most-cited papers were identified, analyzed, and evaluated for level of evidence. Evidence was assessed using the GRADE guidelines.

The top 100 most-cited articles span years 1963-2010 and are published in 50 different journals. The average number of citations per publication was 366.5 (range 189-1527). The most cited article is "Neurofibromatosis: Conference Statement" (Stumpf et al., 1988). In this study, the top 100 most-cited works in NF1 are identified, characterized, and analyzed. This study will serve as a historical point of reference for future research, a jumping point for those unfamiliar with the topic, and an educational foundation for future NF1 specialists and researchers.

Predictors of Citation Rates in High-Impact Glioblastoma Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are at the top of research study designs and tend to attract high citation numbers. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a multidisciplinary disease that continues to be the subject of peak research interest. In general, the literature relating to the predictors of citation rates in clinical trials remains limited. This review aims to identify the factors that influence citation numbers in high-impact GBM clinical trials. The 100 most cited GBM trials of any phase published from 1975 to 2019 were selected and reviewed. The primary analysis correlated citation numbers of articles with various trial and publication-related predictors using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The secondary analysis compared the mean citation numbers for different subgroups using the mean difference test. The median (range) citation number for the selected 100 trials was 349 (135-16,384). The primary analysis showed a significant correlation between citation numbers of articles and the study population (P = 0.024), trial phase (I-III) (P = 0.0427), and the impact factor (IF) of the journal (P < 0.0001). The secondary analysis demonstrated significantly higher mean citation numbers in all trials with the following features: study population ≥115 (P = 0.0208), phase III (P = 0.0372), treatment protocol including radiotherapy (P = 0.0189), temozolomide (TMZ) therapy (P = 0.0343), IF of the journal ≥14.9 (P = 0.02), and general medical journals (P = 0.28). We conclude that the most significant predictors of citation rates in high-impact GBM trials were the study population, trial phase, and journal's IF. The treatment protocol was a positive predictor when it included the currently widely accepted treatment modalities (radiotherapy and TZM). Randomization, age of publication, as well as the numbers of arms, authors, centers, countries, and references were not significant predictors. Increasing awareness of the factors that could affect citations may help researchers undertaking clinical trials to enhance the academic impact of their work.

Citation analysis of the most influential ependymoma research articles illustrates improved knowledge of the molecular biology of ependymoma

The history of academic research on ependymoma is expansive. This review summarizes its history with a bibliometric analysis of the 100 most cited articles on ependymoma. In March 2020, we queried the Web of Science database to identify the most cited articles on ependymoma using the terms “ependymoma” or “ependymal tumors,” yielding 3145 publications. Results were arranged by the number of times each article was cited in descending order. The top 100 articles spanned across nearly a century; the oldest article was published in 1924, while the most recent was in 2017. These articles were published in 35 unique journals, including a mix of basic science and clinical journals. The three institutions with the most papers in the top 100 were St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (16%), the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (6%), and the German Cancer Research Center (5%). We analyzed the publications that may be considered the most influential in the understanding and treatment management of ependymoma. Studies focused on the molecular classification of ependymomas were well-represented among the most cited articles, reflecting the field’s current area of focus and its future directions. Additionally, this article also offers a reference for further studies in the ependymoma field.

Predicting the number of article citations on the topic of pemphigus vulgaris with the 100 top-cited articles since 2011: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare autoimmune blistering disease characterized by intraepithelial and mucocutaneous blister formation and erosion. Numerous articles related to PV have been published. However, which articles have a tremendous influence is still unknown, and factors affecting article citation numbers remain unclear. We aimed to visualize the prominent entities using the top 100 most-cited articles on the topic of PV (T100PV), and investigate whether medical subject headings (i.e., MeSH terms) can be used to predict article citations.

METHODS

By searching the PubMed Central (PMC) database, the T100PV abstracts since 2011 were downloaded. Citation analysis was performed to compare the dominant entities in article topics, authors, and research institutes using social network analysis (SNA) and Kano diagrams. We examined the MeSH prediction power against article citations using correlation coefficients (CCs).

RESULTS

The most cited article (125 times) was authored by Ellebrecht from the University of Pennsylvania in the US. The most productive countries were Germany (28%) and the US (25%). Most articles were published in J Invest Dermatol (16%) and Br J Dermatol (10%). Kasperkiewicz (Germany) and the Normandie University (France) were the most cited authors and research institutes, respectively. The most frequently occurred MeSH terms were administration and dosage, immunology, and metabolism. MeSH terms were evident in the prediction power on the number of article citations (F = 19.77; P < .001).

CONCLUSION

A breakthrough was achieved by developing dashboards to display the T100PV. MeSH terms can be used to predict the T100PV citations. These T100PV visualizations can be applied in future studies.

The Top-100 most cited articles on Moyamoya disease: A bibliometric analysis

OBJECTIVE

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a progressive steno-occlusive cerebrovascular phenomenon with unknown pathogenesis. Considering the abundance of articles addressing Moyamoya disease, a detailed analysis concerning the publication trends is of paramount importance. The aim of the study is to report the current knowledge of the top-100 most cited articles on Moyamoya disease in the literature.

METHODS

A non-time restricted keyword-based search was performed in June 2020 using the Scopus database. The search keywords included the following: "Moyamoya", "Moyamoya disease", and "Moyamoya syndrome". The search result was used to rank the articles based on their citation count. The top-100 most-cited articles were obtained and classified into seven categories.

RESULTS

A total of 3,543 articles on Moyamoya disease were published between 1955 and 2020. The Top-100 articles were published between 1977 and 2016 with a total of 16,119 citations, per year, and 7.23% rate of self-citation. The 1990s was the most productive decade (N=42). The most contributing country to the list was Japan (N=60). Stroke was the most active journal (N=23). Houkin, K., a Japanese neurosurgeon, was the most prolific author (N=15).

CONCLUSIONS

Moyamoya disease has been extensively investigated in the literature throughout the years. The majority of articles published in the literature were addressing the surgical management and clinical outcome. Authors from neurosurgical backgrounds were the most active contributors to the field of Moyamoya disease.

Bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most-cited articles on astrocytoma

Background

Citation analysis reflects the scientific recognition and influential performance of a published article within its field. We aim to identify the top 100 most-cited articles on astrocytoma using this bibliometric analysis method.

Methods

In May 2020, we performed a thorough search in the Scopus database using the word "Astrocytoma." The top 100 most-cited articles were arranged based on citation count in descending order. The resultant articles were then analyzed with an assessment of pertinent factors.

Results

The most-cited articles on astrocytoma had been cited 23,720 times. The top-cited article received a total of 682 citations, with an average of 34.1 citations annually. The list comprised eight clinical trials, in which the highest cited article received 625 citations. Articles were published from 1975 to 2015 with the 1995-2005 era as the most prolific period. Neuropathology studies were the most studied category, followed by clinical studies. The United States of America was the most significant contributor, with 49 published articles. The University of California San Francisco was the most contributing institution by producing 11 articles. Articles were published in 32 different journals led by the Cancer Research Journal, with a total of 12 publications. Approximately 160 authors contributed to the list in which Scheithauer, B.W. contributed the most with a total of eight articles.

Conclusion

This report clustered the most impactful articles on astrocytoma. It serves as an adequate tool to identify publication trends and helps in achieving evidence-based clinical practice.

The Top-100 most cited articles on dural arteriovenous fistula: A bibliometric analysis

Objective

Dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) is a rare pathological vascular lesion with variable clinical manifestations. Since 1968, several articles have been published to address spinal and cranial DAVFs. The aim of this study is to identify, analyse, and review the pertinent literature of the top-100 most cited articles on DAVFs published to date.

Methods

A title-specific, keyword-based search with no time restriction was performed in June 2020. The Scopus database was used to identify the top-100 most cited articles on DAVFs. The term “dural arteriovenous fistula” was used as a search keyword. The search results were arranged in descending order based on the total citation count. The top-100 articles were categorized into ten categories.

Results

Between 1968 and 2020, a total of 2298 articles were published on DAVFs. The top-100 most cited articles were published between 1983 and 2012. The total number of citations for the top-100 articles was 12393 (123 citations/article). Most articles (34%) were investigating the clinical aspect of DAVFs. The country contributing to the most impactful and highest volume of publications (46%) was the United States. The Mayo Clinic was the most active institute in contribution. Most articles (29%) were published by the Journal of Neurosurgery.

Conclusions

In the top-100 most cited articles on DAVF, most studies were published in neurosurgery/neuroradiology-dedicated journals. This bibliometric analysis identifies the publication trends and provides a comprehensive overview of the most influential articles addressing DAVFs.

Bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most cited articles on craniosynostosis

BACKGROUND

Craniosynostosis is the premature closure of cranial sutures and it continues to be a therapeutic challenge due to the diversity and complexity of the syndrome. Bibliometric analysis is a study of ranking citations and exploring the most impactful articles in a respective discipline. It also demonstrates the chronological trends of publications.

METHODS

In May 2020, we performed a title-specific search of the Scopus database using "craniosynostosis" as our query term without publication date restrictions. The top 100 articles in craniosynostosis were retrieved and analyzed.

RESULTS

The top 100 most-cited articles in craniosynostosis received a total 13,826 citations, and an average of 138 citations per paper. The publication dates ranged from 1920 to 2015, with a peak period of top publications between 1996 and 2005. The most common category is clinical, followed by neurogenetics. The top cited article received 540 citation counts and 19.29 citations per year. The USA was the most contributing country to the list. The Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery published the largest number of top cited articles. Neurosurgery as a specialty contributed to most articles in the list (27 articles). The institute who contributed the most was the Assistance Publique Hopitaux Paris.

CONCLUSION

Bibliometric analysis in craniosynostosis revealed major trend changes of research over the years, with a focus on neurogenetics and the different types of surgical corrections. The current collection of highly cited publications may assist physicians in gaining a better understanding of the evidence-based approach in craniosynostosis.

The 100 most-cited articles on vestibular schwannoma: historical perspectives, current limitations, and future research directions

There has been a steady increase of vestibular schwannoma (VS) research in the body of literature. To delineate the most impactful works on VS, a bibliometric analysis is warranted. The Thomson Reuters Web of Sciences database was queried to identify all articles on VS published to June 2020. The articles were sorted in descending order of the number of citations. Titles and abstracts of the top 100 most-cited articles were screened to identify the research area, publication year, author, and country of publication. Our query yielded 6477 research publications. The 100 most-cited articles were cited 15804 times. The most productive decade was the 1990s (40% of the top 100 articles). Twenty-five journals contributed to all included articles. Journal of Neurosurgery contributed most of the articles (20%). Most common contributing country was the USA (60%). "Operative treatment" was the most common research topic (68%), followed by other aspects such as medical management (13%), epidemiology (12%), diagnosis (5%), or translational medicine (2%). The current analysis highlights the importance of the multimodal approach in the study and treatment of VS. While emphasizing the relevance of including highly cited articles in the current education of VS, our results point out the deficiency in certain research areas with high impact in other fields of neuro-oncology, such as translational medicine and molecular epigenetics.

Bibliometric analysis of the top-100 most cited articles on the radiosurgical management of cerebral arteriovenous malformation

Background:

Radiosurgery is an effective, alternative treatment modality in managing patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). The present study aims to highlight the scholarly impact of the top-100 most cited articles on the radiosurgical management of AVMs.

Methods:

A title-specific search using the keyword “arteriovenous malformation” was conducted in the Scopus database. The outcome of the search was rearranged based on the citations count. Articles were categorized into four entities; clinical, gamma knife radiosurgery, linear accelerator (LINAC) radiosurgery, and proton beam radiosurgery. The exclusion criteria were applied to spinal or non-intracranial AVM, conference papers, non-English articles predominantly discussing the endovascular or microsurgical management.

Results:

The top-100 articles on the radiosurgical management of AVM were published between 1972 and 2016. Approximately one-third of the publications were produced between 1995 and 2000. The average citations per year for all papers were seven. The most-studied entity was pertinent to the clinical application of gamma knife radiosurgery in AVM (68%). The United States was the most active country in studying the radiosurgical application in AVM. The Journal of Neurosurgery published approximately one-third of the most-cited articles in the list. The top-3 most contributing authors, publishing 80% of articles in the list, were Lunsford et al.

Conclusion:

The radiosurgical management of AVMs evolved significantly throughout the years. Identifications of the publication trends facilitate the acquisition of evidence-based articles for authors investigating various radiosurgical techniques in the treatment of AVMs.

Bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most cited articles on the basilar artery

Background

The basilar artery (BA) is one of the most critical vessels that supply blood to the brain stem, cerebellum, and parts of the cerebral hemispheres. Many studies on the BA from neurobiological, clinical, and experimental perspectives exist. This bibliometric study was aimed at identifying the most-cited articles related to the BA in different disciplines.

Methods

A title-specific search was carried out using the Scopus database, and the top 100 most-cited articles were collected and analyzed. Article- and cytometric-based parameters were established for the literature review.

Results

The top 100 articles have an accumulative citation count of 13,595, with an average of 135.95 citations per paper. The publication dates range from 1946 to 2015, with the most productive years being those in the 1990s. Experimental studies are the most frequent category, followed by endovascular ones. The top-cited article has received a total of 435 citations, with 18.12 citations per year. The United States of America has contributed the most to the top 100 cited articles. The lead research institution was the University of Bern, and the most contributing journal was the Journal of Neurosurgery.

Conclusion

A bibliometric analysis of BA researches revealed landmark papers and trends over the years, such as on the introduction of endovascular management in basilar aneurysm and occlusion. The highly cited articles in multi-disciplinary areas related to the BA may help develop future novel ideas for research in the laboratory and translational fields.

A tribute to the late Professor Donald Simpson, Australian neurosurgeon and namesake of the Simpson grading system for meningioma extent of resection

Donald Simpson (1927-2018) was a neurosurgeon from Adelaide, Australia, who is often cited for the 1957 publication he wrote as a trainee on the relationship between extent of resection and outcomes for meningiomas. That paper summarized a series of over 300 patients operated on in England by well-known neurosurgeons Sir Hugh Cairns and Joseph Buford Pennybacker. Simpson was also known later in his career, when he was at the University of Adelaide in South Australia, for his contributions to the areas of hydrocephalus, spina bifida, craniofacial anomalies, head injury, brain abscesses, and neurosurgical history, and he published extensively on these topics. In addition to his work in clinical neurosurgery, Simpson made humanitarian contributions studying kuru in New Guinea and aiding refugees during the Vietnam War. Simpson was an active member and leader of many Australian surgical organizations and was an officer of the Order of Australia. Donald Simpson's legacy as an adult and pediatric neurosurgeon, an academician, a leader, and a humanitarian is extensive and will prove long lasting. Professor Simpson's life serves as an example from which all neurosurgeons may learn.

Bibliometric Analysis of the Top 100 Most Cited Articles on Cerebral Vasospasm

OBJECTIVE

Bibliometric analysis reflects the scientific recognition and influential performance of a published article within its field. Our aim is to identify and analyze the top 100 most-cited articles on cerebral vasospasm.

METHODS

A title-specific search was carried out using the Scopus database. The top 100 cited articles including the keywords "Cerebral Vasospasm" AND "Vasospasm" were retrieved and stratified in a descending order: title, authors, institution, publishing journal, country of origin, year of publication, and topic of each article were studied.

RESULTS

The top 100 articles have an accumulative citation count of 20,972, with 209 average citations per article. Publication dates ranged from 1968 to 2012, with the most productive years between 1998 and 2005. Clinical studies are the most frequent category, followed by pathophysiology. The list includes 7 clinical trials, which received accumulative citations of 1525. The top cited article had received 2109 citations, with 52.7 citations per year. The top 100 articles were published across 14 countries, with most originating from the United States. The lead research institution was the University of Alberta. The most used journal was Journal of Neurosurgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Bibliometric analysis has garnered major interest in recent years. It shows the publication trends, knowledge evolution, and evidence-based practice throughout the years. The collection of highly cited articles may assist physicians in gaining a better understanding of the nature of cerebral vasospasm and optimize their clinical practice.

Bibliometric Analysis of Top 100 Most Cited Articles on Intraventricular Hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a rare cause of intracranial bleeding across all age groups, with dismal sequelae in most of the affected population. The reported data on IVH are numerous, with multiple levels of evidence. We performed a citation-based analysis to identify the most-cited reports on IVH.

METHODS

A thorough search of the Scopus database was conducted using "intraventricular hemorrhage" as the search keyword. The 100 most cited studies were stratified in descending order. The reports were reviewed in-depth and categorized accordingly. Bibliometric parameters of interest were obtained for analysis.

RESULTS

The most-cited studies had been published between 1927 and 2017. Most (n = 60) had been published between 1980 and 2000. The most-cited studies had received a total of 16,512 citations, with an average of 174 citations per report. Studies on pathogenesis were the most prolific, with 23 articles included. A total of 13 randomized controlled trials were identified. The top contributing country was the United States, with 67 reports. The leading institution was the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, with 11 studies. Pediatrics was the most active journal, with 20 studies.

CONCLUSION

The present collection of highly cited studies can aid in the understanding of chronological trends and could serve as an efficient guide to delineate the reports involved in the evidence-based practice of the management of IVH.

The 100 Most Cited Papers About Brain Metastases

BACKGROUND

A vast amount of articles centered on brain metastases have been published.

OBJECTIVE

To present the 100 most-cited articles dedicated to brain metastasis and to accomplish a broad literature review.

METHODS

In December 2019, we performed a title-focused search using the Thomson Reuters Web of Science database to identify the most cited articles centered on brain metastatic disease. Our search query term was based on using the following algorithm: "brain metastases" OR "brain metastasis" OR "brain metastatic disease" OR "cerebral metastases" OR "cerebral metastasis" OR "cerebral metastatic disease." Afterward, we reviewed the results to certify that they were relevant to the purposes of our research protocol. The 100 most cited papers were chosen and further analyzed.

RESULTS

Our search resulted in 11,579 articles, published from 1975 until the completion of our survey. The most cited article, by Patchell et al., was published in 1990, with 1862 citations, and an average of 62.07 citations per year, whereas the last in our list, by Gaspar et al., was published in 2010, with 195 total citations, and an average of 19.50 citations per year. Countries with the highest-cited articles included the United States (75 records), followed by Canada (16 records).

CONCLUSIONS

We discovered the top 100 most-cited articles centered on brain metastasis, all of which show a potentially increased level of interest, because they are meaningful scientific reports. In addition, we reviewed the historical development and advances in brain metastasis research and relevant points of interest, alongside the relevant contributions of different authors, fields of special interest, and countries. Many of the most cited articles were written by authors whose specialty was not neurosurgery or by neurosurgeons who were supported by colleagues from other medical fields. As a consequence, many of these articles were not published in neurosurgery-dedicated journals.

Progress and Prospects of Recurrent Glioma: A Recent Scientometric Analysis of the Web of Science in 2019

BACKGROUND

Most patients with glioma experience recurrence and have a poor prognosis. Scientometric analysis is effective and widely used to summarize the most influential studies within a certain field. We present the first scientometric analysis of recurrent glioma.

METHODS

We conducted a generalized search for articles on recurrent glioma in the Web of Science database and evaluated the top 100 most cited articles among 4651 articles.

RESULTS

The number of citations from the top 100 cited articles on recurrent glioma ranged from 149 to 1471; most of these articles were published in oncology-specific journals (66) and were submitted by institutions in the United States (n = 67). The top-cited articles consisted of 98 articles and 2 literature reviews. Articles were classified into 4 major categories based on subject matter: 82 pertained to treatment, 6 pertained to genetic mechanisms, 7 pertained to diagnosis, and 5 pertained to prognosis. Treatment-related articles were subdivided into the following 7 categories: targeted therapy (n = 21), chemotherapy (n = 20), immunotherapy (n = 12), combination therapy (n = 12), radiotherapy (n = 9), surgical resection (n = 6), a new therapy (physiotherapy) (n = 1), and treatment summary (n = 1).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the analysis indicated that the core problem is the treatment of recurrent glioma. Although the number of citations on targeted therapy and combination therapy has increased in recent years, the proportion of randomized controlled trials, basic medical research, literature reviews, and meta-analyses is relatively low; thus, there is an urgent need to conduct these types of studies on recurrent glioma.

Postgraduate publishing output in pediatric neurosurgery: correlation with fellowship site and individual scholars

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to analyze the publication output of postgraduate pediatric neurosurgery fellows for a 10-year period as well as identify 25 individual highly productive pediatric neurosurgeons. The correlation between academic productivity and the site of fellowship training was studied.

METHODS

Programs certified by the Accreditation Council for Pediatric Neurosurgery Fellowships that had 5 or more graduating fellows from 2006 to 2015 were included for analysis. Fellows were queried using Scopus for publications during those 10 years with citation data through 2017. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated, comparing program rankings of faculty against fellows using the revised Hirsch index (r-index; primary) and Hirsch index (h-index; secondary). A list of 25 highly accomplished individual academicians and their fellowship training locations was compiled.

RESULTS

Sixteen programs qualified with 152 fellows from 2006 to 2015; 136 of these surgeons published a total of 2009 articles with 23,735 citations. Most publications were pediatric-specific (66.7%) clinical articles (93.1%), with middle authorship (55%). Co-investigators were more likely from residency than fellowship. There was a clustering of the top 7 programs each having total publications of around 120 or greater, publications per fellow greater than 12, more than 1200 citations, and adjusted ir10 (revised 10-year institutional h-index) and ih10 (10-year institutional h-index) values of approximately 2 or higher. Correlating faculty and fellowship program rankings yielded correlation coefficients ranging from 0.53 to 0.80. Fifteen individuals (60%) in the top 25 (by r5 index) list completed their fellowship at 1 of these 7 institutions.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately 90% of fellowship-trained pediatric neurosurgeons have 1 or more publications, but the spectrum of output is broad. There is a strong correlation between where surgeons complete their fellowships and postgraduate publications.

The top 100 most-cited articles on 'Clubfoot'

Clubfoot is an important aspect of pediatric orthopedics and is a readily prevalent condition presenting to orthopedic clinics worldwide. To identify landmark articles and important contributions to this field, we sought to do a citation analysis of the top 100 most-cited articles on clubfoot. Using the Scopus database and the search strategy 'Clubfoot', 'Clubfeet' OR 'Talipes Equinovarus', we identified 5753 articles. After filtering for relevant articles, the top 100 cited articles on clubfoot were retrieved for descriptive and statistical analysis. The most cited paper was 'Long-term results of treatment of congenital clubfoot' by S.J. Laaveg and I.V. Ponseti with 358 citations. The publication years ranged from 1969 to 2011. The USA was the most productive country in terms of research output, followed by the UK. Institution-wise, the University of Iowa contributed the most in terms of number of publications. The Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics held the most number of articles. Most publications were level IV and level V studies. Although citation analysis has it flaws, this is a comprehensive list of the top 100 articles significantly affecting literature on clubfoot. On the basis our study, we conclude that there is marked deficiency of high-level articles with respect to the number of citations, and future researches need to cater to this question to produce high-quality studies.

The top 50 most-cited articles on low-grade glioma: a bibliometric analysis

PURPOSE

There is an abundance of articles published on low-grade glioma. The aim of this study was to identify and review the 50 most-cited articles on low-grade glioma, and to perform a bibliometric analysis.

METHODS

In June 2017, we performed a basic search of the Web of Science database using "low-grade glioma management and/or treatment" as our search terms without publication date restrictions. The top 50 most-cited articles were obtained and reviewed.

RESULTS

The top 50 most-cited articles received a mean 195 citations per paper, with 571 citations being the most and 81 citations being the least. Publication dates ranged from 1992 to 2013. The articles were published in 17 journals and Journal of Neurosurgery published the greatest number of articles (10 of 50), followed by Journal of Clinical Oncology (9 of 50). The most frequent study categories were natural history studies (19 of 50) and laboratory studies (13 of 50). Neurosurgery as a specialty contributed to 22 articles. The majority of the articles originated in the United States (44%).

CONCLUSION

We identified the top 50 most-cited articles on low-grade glioma and the level of knowledge about this topic has been increased.

Top 100 Most-Cited Articles on Pituitary Adenoma: A Bibliometric Analysis

BACKGROUND

Many articles have been published on pituitary adenomas. Bibliometric analyses are helpful for determining the most impactful studies within a field.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the top 100 most-cited articles on pituitary adenomas using the bibliometric analysis method.

METHODS

We searched the Thomson Reuters Web of Science on March 31, 2018. Articles were listed in descending order by the total citation (TC) number, and the most-cited articles on pituitary adenomas were identified and analyzed.

RESULTS

The most-cited articles were published between 1970 and 2014, with 1999 as the most prolific year. Growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma was the most commonly studied tumor subtype (43%), and in clinical studies, treatment options and follow-up were the most important research focuses (62%). The average number of TCs was 326, and the average number of annual citations (ACs) was 17. More review articles were published in the last decade, and the average number of ACs was higher for this decade than for previous decades. Twenty-one articles were recognized as citation Ccassics, with a TC number >400. Twenty-five journals published the top 100 works; Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism published the most articles (25%). The most articles (43%) were published in the United States. S. Melmed wrote the greatest number of publications (14%). Departments of medicine (32%) and endocrinology (32%) contributed to the largest number of articles.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified the research focuses and trends regarding pituitary adenoma and provides key references for investigators in guiding future pituitary adenoma research.

The Top 50 Most-Cited Articles on Acoustic Neuroma

BACKGROUND

Acoustic neuroma is the most common extra-axial primary cerebellopontine angle tumor in adults. A plethora of studies have been published on acoustic neuroma, but none of the previous works have highlighted the most influential articles. Our objective was to perform a bibliometric analysis of the 50 most-cited articles on acoustic neuroma.

METHODS

We performed a title-specific search on the Scopus database using the following search terms: "acoustic neuroma," "vestibular schwannoma," and "cerebellopontine angle." We recorded the 50 most-cited articles and reviewed them.

RESULTS

The 50 most-cited articles had an average of 175 citations per article. All articles were published between 1980 and 2006, with 1997 the most prolific year, when 7 articles were published. The journals Neurosurgery and Laryngoscope published 10 and 8 of these articles, respectively. The most common study categories were nonsurgical management (17/50) and surgical management (13/50). Studies were predominantly published by otolaryngologists (22/50) and neurosurgeons (14/50). Douglas Kondziolka was the author with the highest number of contributions, with 7 publications. The majority of the articles were produced in the United States (64%).

CONCLUSIONS

Identifying articles on acoustic neuroma with the most impact provides an important overview of the historical development of treatment methods and publication trends related to this condition. A finalized, comprehensive list of the most important works represents an excellent tool that can serve as a guide for evidence-based clinical practice.