Abstract
BACKGROUND: Liver cancer remains one of the most prevalent and lethal malignancies worldwide, highlighting the need for effective diagnostic and monitoring strategies. Ultrasound plays a vital role in the early diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of liver cancer. However, no bibliometric analysis has been conducted in this field before. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge structure and research hotspots related to the application of ultrasound in liver cancer via bibliometric methodologies. METHODS: A search was performed in the Web of Science Core Collection database for English literature studies on the application of ultrasound in liver cancer from 2014 to 2024. Bibliometric analysis tools including VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R Studio, were utilized to analyze global trends and research hotspots in this field. RESULTS: A total of 2501 eligible publications, including 2048 articles and 453 reviews, were analyzed. In the past decade, both the annual output of publications and the citation rates have rapidly increased. The majority of published articles on this topic were originated in China (n = 832, 33.27%), followed by the United States (n = 586, 23.43%), and Italy (n = 222, 8.88%). Researchers from the United States have demonstrated high productivity, prominence, and influence in this area of research. Additionally, Sun Yat-sen University published the most papers (n = 64), whereas the University of Michigan had the highest average citation value (value = 60.28) related to research on the application of ultrasound in liver cancer. Notably, Singal, Amit G from the USA was the author with both the highest number of published articles and the highest average citation value. CONCLUSION: In recent years, rapid advancements in ultrasound research for liver cancer have been reported. Increasing evidence has illustrated the crucial role of ultrasound in the early diagnosis and monitoring of liver cancer.