Insights in Neurosurgery

Abstract

Introduction: Hydrocephalus represents a significant burden of disease, with greater than 383,000 new cases annually worldwide. When considering the magnitude of this condition, a centralized archive on pertinent literature is of great clinical utility, and from a neurosurgical standpoint, the impact of hydrocephalus constitutes one of the most frequently treated conditions in the field. The focus of this study was to identify the top 100 journal articles specific to hydrocephalus utilizing bibliometric analysis. Methods: Using the Journal of Citation Report database, ten journals were identified. A search was then performed on the Web of Science Core Collection using each journal name and the search term hydrocephalus. The results were then ordered by Times Cite• and searched by the number of citations. The database contained journal articles from 1976-2021, and the following variables were collected for analysis: journal, article type, year of publication, and the number of citations. Journal articles were excluded if they had no relation to hydrocephalus, involved basic science research, or included animal studies. Results: Ten journals were identified, using the above criteria, and a catalog of the 100 most cited publications in hydrocephalus literature was created. Articles were arranged from highest to lowest citation number, with further classification by journal, article type, and publication year. Articles were also distinguished by study type and further stratified by etiology. If etiology was not specified, studies were instead subcategorized by treatment type. Conclusion: Through our analysis of highly cited journal articles focusing on different etiologies, and fields of surgical or medical management of hydrocephalus, we hope to elucidate important trends. By establishing the 100 most cited hydrocephalus articles, we contribute one source, stratified for efficient reference, to aid neurosurgeons and other potential learners research in hydrocephalus.