Bibliometric analysis of the relationship between metabolic study and urolithiasis. A key tool in patient management

Abstract

Objective: Our objective was doing an analysis of available bibliography to understand tendencies in publications regarding the role of metabolic evaluation in the management of urolithiasis. Materials and Methods: A retrospective bibliometric analysis of the available medical literature ranging from the year 2001 to 2022 was performed on the Web of Science platform. The graph analysis was done using Microsoft Excel and the bibliographic mapping analysis was done on the VOSviewer software. Results: A total of 120 references were found in 63 journals, with a decrease in the rate of publications in the last 5 years. The country, journal, and institution with the largest number of manuscripts were the United States, Journal of Urology, and the University of Bonn, respectively. The author with the largest number of publications was Sarica Kemal. The mapping and analysis of the keyword evolution with respect to the timeline centered on the terms: “prevention”, “metabolic risk factors”, “obesity”, “primary hyperoxaluria”, and “medical management”. Conclusion: Metabolic evaluation is a fundamental tool in the overall approach of these patients. Despite the decrease in the rate of research on the association between metabolic evaluation and urolithiasis in recent years, the importance of a complete assessment of these patients from the first symptomatic episode has been demonstrated, as it helps to determine the risk of recurrence of the disease, and to establish a treatment plan focused on prevention. This first bibliometric analysis on metabolic evaluation and urolithiasis depicts the importance of giving continuity to research on the risk factors of urolithiasis that may be modified and treated.