Diffuse panbronchiolitis research in MEDLINE (1969–2017): Report of a bibliometric analysis

BACKGROUND: Given the well documented and undesired impact of diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB), there is a need to create a statistical inventory of research output on DPB. The aim of this study was to identify and analyze different trends in publication over time, with technological additions. METHODS: Articles indexed in MEDLINE regarding DPB were retrieved using PubMed. Citation results were categorized by article type, year of publication, language, and country. RESULTS: A total of 657 publications, published between 1969 and 2017 were retrieved from PubMed; the year with the highest number of articles published was 1992 (n = 32). Japan accounted for 68.34% (n = 449) publications, followed by the United States of America (USA; 6.70%, n = 44) and China (5.48%, n = 36). English (n = 401) was the most commonly used language in the publications, followed by Japanese (n = 223) and Chinese (n = 16). Articles were published in 218 different journals; The Japanese Journal of Thoracic Diseases published the maximum number of articles, accounting for 13.7% (n = 90) citations. Sugiyama Y was the most productive author and contributed to 12 publications. CONCLUSIONS: This was the first bibliometric analysis of DPB. Between 1991 and 2000, the number of publications on DPB literature reached a peak, and although the frequency of publication has decreased recently, the quantity of DPB research during the past 48 years is adequate and satisfactory. Overall, the publications on DPB have undergone exponential growth over the last 30 years.