A Bibliometric Analysis of Optic Coherence Tomography Studies in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Objective: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive, non-contact diagnostic tool that provides high-resolution cross-sectional images of the retina that has been used for ten years in multiple sclerosis (MS) related optic neuropathies. The objective of this study is to determine the scientific output in use of OCT in multiple sclerosis between 1982 and 2012 using ISI Web of Knowledge. Methods: The ISI Web of Knowledge was searched for articles on OCT published between 1982 and February 2012 using appropriate terms. Articles were characterized each year by publication type. Results: Search yielded 154 publications after the search for keywords “optical coherence tomography and multiple sclerosis and 167 publications after the search for the keywords “optical coherence tomography and optic neuritis”. After eliminating the conflicting publications total 193 publications were analyzed. A cubic increase in the number of publications over time was observed. Conclusions: The number of scientific publications in the field of OCT in MS has increased significantly over the past years. The United States, England and Spain have dominated the field of OCT in MS.