Past, present, and future of global research on artificial intelligence applications in dermatology: A bibliometric analysis

In recent decades, artificial intelligence (AI) has played an increasingly important role in medicine, including dermatology. Worldwide, numerous studies have reported on AI applications in dermatology, rapidly increasing interest in this field. However, no bibliometric studies have been conducted to evaluate the past, present, or future of this topic. This study aimed to illustrate past and present research and outline future directions for global research on AI applications in dermatology using bibliometric analysis. We conducted an online search of the Web of Science Core Collection database to identify scientific papers on AI applications in dermatology. The bibliometric metadata of each selected paper were extracted, analyzed, and visualized using VOS viewer and Cite Space. A total of 406 papers, comprising 8 randomized controlled trials and 20 prospective studies, were deemed eligible for inclusion. The United States had the highest number of papers (n = 166). The University of California System (n = 24) and Allan C. Halpern (n = 11) were the institution and author with the highest number of papers, respectively. Based on keyword co-occurrence analysis, the studies were categorized into 9 distinct clusters, with clusters 2, 3, and 7 containing keywords with the latest average publication year. Wound progression prediction using machine learning, the integration of AI into teledermatology, and applications of the algorithms in skin diseases, are the current research priorities and will remain future research aims in this field.