Objectives

The thyroid ultrasound remains the most accepted imaging modality used in evaluation of thyroid diseases, in spite of the availability of sophisticated imaging modalities such as thyroid scintigraphy, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scans, owing to its relative cost-effectiveness, safety and sensitivity in identification of pathology. With the use of bibliometrics, we aim to study the evolution of the research landscape pertaining to the use of ultrasound imaging in the diagnosis and management of thyroid diseases, establish current trends and highlight potential future direction.


Methods

A comprehensive search was conducted on the Web of Science, searching for thyroid AND ultrasound [in title]. A total of 3358 articles were retrieved. The most common type of publication was Article (n=2473), followed by Meeting Abstract (n=220). Total citations per year ranged from 0 to 5534. Network analysis and clustering of keywords was carried out using the VOSviewer software. 

Results

Our analysis demonstrated time-driven clustering of keywords into four clusters. Of which, two clusters were representative of keywords emerging in the last five years. The first cluster centered around non-invasive energy ablation techniques, including microwave, thermal, and radio-frequency ablation. The second cluster focused on artificial intelligence (Al) applications, encompassing computer-aided diagnosis, stratification, deep learning and radiomics.

Conclusions

The findings of this bibliometrics analysis demonstrate a recent shift in published thyroid research towards focus on emerging modalities, specifically, on computer-aided image analysis and on minimally-invasive energy applications. The former reflects the interest in the potential of Al in advancing the utility of thyroid ultrasound in precision diagnostics and personalisation of management in thyroid diseases. The latter emphasises heightened attention to non-surgical therapeutic options. Taken together, future research could leverage on Al-guided diagnostics to optimise patient selection for de-escalation to less invasive or conservative therapeutic options for appropriate thyroid pathologies.