A scientometric analysis of dermoscopy literature over the past 25 years.

BACKGROUND: Dermoscopy is a useful method allowing the non-invasive visualization of dermal and epidermal structures.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the scientific output in dermoscopy between 1985 and 2009 using ISI Web of Knowledge.

METHODS: The ISI Web of Knowledge was searched for articles on dermoscopy published between 1985 and 2009 using appropriate terms. Articles were characterized each year by publication type and journal type.

RESULTS: The search yielded 1490 dermoscopy publications, of which 1198 (80%) appeared in dermatology journals. A cubic increase in the number of publications over time was observed (R(2) = 95.3%, P < 0.0001). Most of these publications were published in high-impact dermatologic journals, including Archives of Dermatology (209, 14%), Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (161, 10.8%) and British Journal of Dermatology (113, 7.6%). Italy produced 29% of all articles followed by the United States with 22% and Austria with 15%. The number of dermoscopy publications associated with a given country correlated with melanoma incidence and Growth Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of that country (r = 0517 P = 0.02, and r = 0486 P = 0.03 respectively).

CONCLUSION: The number of scientific publications in the field of dermoscopy has increased significantly over the past 25 years. Italy, the United States and Austria have dominated the field of dermoscopy.