Thirty Years of Innovation in Endovascular Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms: A Bibliometric Review of the 100 Most Cited Articles per Five-Year Period Academic Article in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • Objective: To analyze the evolution of citation trends in the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) over the past 30 years through a structured bibliometric review. Methods: Using the Web of Science Core Collection, we identified the 100 most-cited articles from each 5-year period between 1995 and 2024. Bibliometric analyses were performed to evaluate temporal shifts in citation patterns, authorship, global collaboration, and research focus. The analysis was performed using Biblioshiny (RStudio). Results: Six hundred articles were analyzed. Early articles focused on coil technology, later expanding into adjunctive devices and flow diversion. Recent periods emphasized systematic reviews, safety, and long-term outcomes. The proportion of original articles among the top-cited works steadily decreased from 91 in the 1995¿1999 period to 65 in 2020¿2024. Conversely, the number of review articles showed a 10-fold increase, rising from 3 to 31 in the same timeframe. The USA led scientific production and citation count. International co-authorship among the top articles increased fourfold, rising from 10% in 1995¿1999 to 41% in 2020¿2024. Conclusions: The 30-year bibliometric landscape of endovascular IA treatment reflects a field maturing from technological validation to an era focused on high-level evidence synthesis and procedural optimization. The observed trends highlight a clear trajectory toward more collaborative, data-driven, and outcomes-focused research paradigms. © 2025 The Author(s)

publication date

  • December 1, 2025