A bibliometric analysis of the 50 most cited articles on impetigo: research trends and scholarly impact

Lama K. Alharbi; Hisham S. Al Qifari; Judy Alsulami; Renad K. Almutawa; Raghad A. Alharbi; Hamad S. Alamro; Yousef N. Alanazi; Almaha A. Alhijab; Jana K. Alharbi; Logain G. Alghanemi; Hussein M. Alshamrani

doi:10.18203/issn.2455-4529.IntJResDermatol20260381

Authors

Lama K. Alharbi College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Hisham S. Al Qifari College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Judy Alsulami College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Renad K. Almutawa College of Medicine, Dar Al Uloom University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Raghad A. Alharbi College of Medicine, Almaarefa University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Hamad S. Alamro College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Yousef N. Alanazi College of Applied Medical Science, Northern Borders University, Arar, Saudi Arabia
Almaha A. Alhijab College of Medicine, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
Jana K. Alharbi College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Logain G. Alghanemi Department of Dermatology, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Hussein M. Alshamrani Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/issn.2455-4529.IntJResDermatol20260381

Keywords:

Impetigo, Bacterial skin infection, Staphylococcal skin infection

Abstract

Impetigo is a common bacterial skin infection that primarily affects children, although it can occur in individuals of all ages. Despite its widespread prevalence and significant public health impact, a comprehensive evaluation of the most influential research on impetigo is lacking. This study aims to identify the 50 most-cited publications on impetigo and analyze trends in authorship, institutional contributions, study designs, and collaborative networks. A total of 2,126 articles were retrieved from Web of Science, of which 1,596 met the inclusion criteria. Subsequently, the articles were sorted in descending order based on citation count. Data extracted from each article included the title, authors, citation counts, study design, funding sources, and institutional collaborations. The years of publication varied from 1965 to 2019. The research output is largely driven by institutions in Australia, Japan, and the USA, with the University of Melbourne and Keio University being major contributors, and Steer. being the most frequently listed author, contributing to 8 highly cited articles. About 30–35% of the studies’ objectives centered on the pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms of bacterial skin infections, 20–25% on disease burden and epidemiology, and 20–25% focused on antimicrobial resistance and treatment methods. This bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive evaluation of the most influential research on impetigo, highlighting key authors, institutions, and publication trends.

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