Scientific Knowledge of Wegener's Granulomatosis: A Scientometric Analysis, From 1970 to 2023

Introduction: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), previously known as Wegener's granulomatosis is a systemic, necrotizing vasculitis. To our knowledge, there have been no previous attempts to assess the literature on GPA through scientometric analysis. In our study, we utilized scientometric analysis to explore the geographical, institutional, publication, authorship, citation, and keyword dimensions of GPA research, with the goal of uncovering the current state and emerging trends in the field. Methods: The bibliographic information for studies on GPA was obtained from Scopus up to 2024. VOSviewer software was used to analyze publication characteristics, including countries, institutions, journals, authors, core references, and keywords. Results: The literature review yielded 15092 publications in the Title-abstract-keyword fields related to GPA. The number of published articles increased from 2014 to 2021, and decreased since 2021. The United States (n=3672, 24.3%), has the highest publication number. There was a strong and significant positive correlation between the number of articles produced by countries on GPA and their gross domestic product (GDP) (r = 0.7103, P < 0.001). Mayo Clinic (n=353) is the most active institution and the Journal of Rheumatology (n=248) is the most active journal. The analysis of the co-occurrences of keywords was performed by VOSviewer. The most frequent author keyword was “Wegener’s Granulomatosis” (n=1718). Conclusion: The current study comprehensively reviewed GPA research from 1970 to 2024 using Scopus- indexed articles. Results highlighted leading countries, institutions, journals, influential publications, and key authors, identifying impactful research avenues. This scientometric review offers valuable insights for future research directions and publishing strategies in GPA. By recognizing trends and emerging themes, clinicians can enhance their practice, engage in relevant research, and contribute to improved patient outcomes.