Global research trends on the absence of vas deferens: a bibliometric and visualized study

Background and objectives: To conduct a bibliometric analysis of publications on the absence of vas deferens (AVD) and explore hot topics regarding the subject.

Material and methods: Publications about AVD research were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). We conducted bibliometric analyses using CiteSpace and VOSviewer software. The results parameters were authors, number of publications, top institutions/countries, impact factor and citation analysis. In addition, network maps were presented to evaluate the collaborations between them.

Results: A total of 918 articles were included in the analysis. Since 1998, the number of publications has gradually declined. Human reproduction (69) represented the most papers and was also the most co-cited journal. Silber Sj, Asch Rh and Patrizio P were leading researchers, and there were active collaborations among the top authors. The USA was the leading national contributor in this field, with 231 publications, and active cooperation between countries and institutions was observed. Hot topics included the themes of congenital bilateral absence, cystic fibrosis, infertility and mutations.

Conclusion: Research papers on AVD gradually decreased after 1998. This historical overview of research on AVD will be useful for further research. Future research on specific areas regarding hot topics is recommended.

Absence of the vas deferens (AVD); Bibliometric analysis; Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR); Cystic fibrosis

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