Rheumatoid arthritis‐associated interstitial lung disease hotspots and future directions: A Web‐of‐Science based scientometric and visualization study

OBJECTIVE: To identify new trends and potential hotspots in research on rheumatoid arthritis‐associated interstitial lung disease (RA‐ILD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Web of Science (WOS) database was used to search for RA‐ILD‐related literature published between August 31, 2002 and August 31, 2022. CiteSpace 6.1.R3, VOSviewer version 1.6.17, Scimago Graphica, and Pajek V2.0 visualization software were used to conduct a comprehensive analysis and network visualization mapping of the authors, countries, institutions, journals, cited references, and keywords. RESULTS: A total of 2412 articles were retrieved, and the number of articles published has grown annually since 2002. Eric L. Matteson was the most prolific author, and the Mayo Clinic and UNITED STATES have the highest publishing volume and influence. Clinical Rheumatology is the journal with the most papers published. Rheumatology was the most cited journal. The citation clusters and keywords concentrated on the mechanism, treatment, and predictive and prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: Pathogenesis, treatment, and predictive and prognostic factors were among the RA‐ILD research directions and hotspots. Antirheumatoid drugs, especially biologics and small molecule inhibitors, were among the most actively researched treatment options. The results of this study provides an in‐depth understanding of the development of RA‐ILD publications, aids researchers in understanding hotspots and trends and provides a new perspective for future RA‐ILD research.