Sarcouncil Journal of Medical Series

Abstract: Background: Pneumothorax is a potentially life-threatening condition that continues to present important challenges in emergency medicine, pulmonology, and thoracic surgery. Over recent decades, scientific interest in pneumothorax has increased substantially due to advances in diagnostic imaging, minimally invasive surgery, and critical care management. This study aimed to evaluate the global research landscape of pneumothorax through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis. Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using publications retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases. Articles and review papers published in English between January 2000 and December 2025 were included. Data regarding publication year, authors, institutions, countries, journals, citations, and keywords were extracted and analyzed. Bibliometric indicators including annual publication trends, citation analysis, H-index values, co-authorship networks, co-citation analysis, and keyword co-occurrence mapping were evaluated using VOSviewer and CiteSpace software. Results: A total of 6,842 publications related to pneumothorax were identified. Annual scientific output demonstrated a continuous increase, particularly after 2015, with the highest publication activity observed between 2020 and 2023. The United States, China, Japan, and the United Kingdom were the leading contributors in terms of publication count and citation impact. The most productive institutions included the Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Tokyo. Major research hotspots included spontaneous pneumothorax, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), pleurodesis, mechanical ventilation-associated pneumothorax, and COVID-19-related pneumothorax. Visualization analyses revealed expanding international collaboration networks and emerging interest in artificial intelligence-assisted imaging and ultrasound-guided diagnosis. Conclusion: Global pneumothorax research has grown substantially over the past two decades, reflecting increasing clinical and scientific interest in this field. Minimally invasive surgical approaches, critical care-related pneumothorax, and advanced imaging technologies have emerged as major research priorities. This bibliometric study provides a comprehensive overview of the intellectual structure, research trends, and future directions of pneumothorax research and may guide future multidisciplinary investigations and evidence-based clinical practice.