A bibliometric analysis of hidradenitis suppurativa literature over the past 50 years

Background: We aimed to describe the existing literature on hidradenitis suppurative (HS) in the last 50 years and the key processes made over time. Methods: On July 27, 2022, we searched for HS studies published in the last 50 years (from 1972 to 2022) using Web of Science. The search was made using the keywords “Hidradenitis Suppurativa” and “Acne Inversa.” The data are subdivided according to publications and citations rate, country, publication year, journal and impact factor, keywords analysis of top 100 cited papers study design, and pediatric versus adults. Results: In total, 5072 documents were retrieved. The annual number of HS publications has increased over the years. The manuscript with the highest citation number was by Zouboulis et al., a total of 552 citations from 2015. The manuscript with the highest citation rate per year was by Mantovani et al., with a citation rate of 70.7/year. According to keywords analysis among the top 100 cited papers, most of the articles focused on management, followed by the pathogenesis of HS. Only 805 out of 5072 (15.8%) HS articles described the disease among children. Conclusions: In the current analysis, we shed light on HS's transformations over the last 50 years. In addition, we described the 100 top cited papers and other essential characteristics not examined before, such as HS research in children, gender bias research, specific pharmacological therapy with keyword analysis, comorbidities, preventative care, and publications per country after controlling for population.