Bibliometric analysis of the global publication activity in the field of relapsing polychondritis during 1960-2023.

This overview of the RP research field comprehensively describes the progress in the field. The number of publications on RP has progressively increased but remains insufficient. The United States and European countries are at the forefront of RP-related research, and the journals related to rheumatology have covered the majority of publications. Additionally, several key topics for future investigations, such as "VEXAS Syndrome," have been identified. Key Points •We identified a mean annual growth rate of 6.71% in the number of the RP-related publications during 1960-2022. •The United States accounted for the majority of the publications, exhibited the highest mean citation number per publication, and engaged in the most frequent academic collaborations. •The journals of the publications were categorized into three clusters of research areas: 1) otology, rhinology, and laryngology; 2) respiratory and radiology medicine; and 3) rheumatology. Journals related to rheumatology issued the most publications, and most of the publications were from The Journal of Rheumatology •Most of the publications were co-authored by Dr. Jean-Charles Piette, who also had the highest scientific-research impact among the scholars in the field. •The co-citation network analysis revealed 11 highly connected clusters of RP research and indicated the "VEXAS Syndrome" as a key research area.