Deciphering the progression of fine-needle aspiration: A bibliometric analysis of thyroid nodule research

Abstract

This study aims to dissect the evolution and pivotal shifts in Fine-Needle Aspiration (FNA) research for thyroid nodules over the past 2 decades, focusing on delineating key technological advancements and their impact on clinical practice. A comprehensive bibliometric analysis was conducted on 5418 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection database (2000-2023). Publications were rigorously selected based on their contributions to the advancement of FNA techniques and their influence on thyroid nodule management practices. Our analysis uncovered significant breakthroughs, most notably the incorporation of ultrasound and molecular diagnostics in FNA, which have markedly elevated diagnostic accuracy. A pivotal shift was identified towards minimally invasive post-FNA treatments, such as Radiofrequency Ablation, attributable to these diagnostic advancements. Additionally, the emergence of AI-assisted cytology represents a frontier in precision diagnostics, promising enhanced disease identification. The geographical analysis pinpointed the United States, Italy, and China as key contributors, with the United States leading in both publication volume and citation impact. This bibliometric analysis sheds light on the transformative progression in FNA practices for thyroid nodules, characterized by innovative diagnostic technologies and a trend towards patient-centric treatment approaches. The findings underscore the need for further research into AI integration and global practice standardization. Future explorations should focus on the practical application of these advancements in diverse healthcare settings and their implications for global thyroid nodule management.

Figure 1.

Depicts the literature screening process utilized in this study.

Figure 2.

Illustrates the annual trends in research output concerning FNA in thyroid nodules. FNA = fine-needle aspiration.

Figure 3.

Presents a collaboration map detailing the geographic distribution (A), international collaborations (B), involved research institutions (C), and recent trends in publications (D) related to thyroid nodules FNA. FNA = fine-needle aspiration.

Figure 4.

Showcases visualizations of contributing journals (A), networks of co-cited journals (B), and a dual-map overlay representing journal interrelations (C) in thyroid nodules FNA research. FNA = fine-needle aspiration.

Figure 5.

Displays the authorship landscape (A) and a network of co-cited authors (B) in thyroid nodules FNA research. FNA = fine-needle aspiration.

Figure 6.

Reveals networks of co-cited references in thyroid nodules FNA (A) and identifies the top 25 references exhibiting strongest citation bursts (B). FNA = fine-needle aspiration.

Figure 7.

(A) Provides a visualization of keywords used in thyroid nodules FNA; the frequency is represented by point size. (B) Distribution of keywords according to the mean frequency of appearance; keywords in yellow appeared later than those in purple. (C) The cluster of keywords related to thyroid nodules FNA research. The different colors represented different clusters. Each point represents a keyword. The lines between the points represent two keywords with cooccurrence relationship. FNA = fine-needle aspiration.