A Bibliometric Analysis of the Top 100 Highly Cited Onychomycosis Publications Using SCOPUS Database (1972–2022)

Abstract

Introduction: Onychomycosis represents half of nail disorders seen in clinical practice. Despite its high prevalence, a bibliometric analysis has not been performed. We aimed to identify the top 100 highly cited onychomycosis publications over the last 50 years to better understand research trends. Methods: SCOPUS was searched for onychomycosis publications, using “onychomycosis” and “nail fungus” 1/1/1972-12/31/22 on 3/25/23. Top 100 highly cited publications were recorded and ranked by total citation count. Results: Total citation count was 13,456, with the top 10 articles with highest citation count/year having average 28.7 citations/year. Most articles were published in high IF journals. From 1982 to 2011 (no treatment articles – 1972–1981), there was an 8.6% increase in articles discussing treatment. Overall, 42% of first authors were female. Conclusion: We found an overall increase in articles discussing onychomycosis therapies over time, with the majority published in high IF journals. We also found a relatively greater percentage of female first authors compared to studies on other dermatologic topics. While total citation count remains a widely used metric of impact in bibliometric studies, average citation count/year may be a better measure of impact and should be considered in future studies.