Bibliometric analysis and visualization of inflammation in the field of diabetic retinopathy research (2006-2025).

backgroundDR, one of the most common and sight-threatening complications of Diabetes Mellitus (DM), remains a leading cause of vision impairment among the working-age population. In recent years, growing evidence has highlighted the pivotal role of inflammation in the onset and progression of DR. These mechanisms involve immune cells and inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress, and VEGF signaling. This study employed bibliometric approaches to systematically identify research trends and emerging hotspots concerning inflammation-related DR literature.

methodsPublications concerning inflammation and diabetic retinopathy from 2006 to 2025 were systematically retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) in June 2025. Bibliometric analyses and visualization were performed using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix, focusing on countries, institutions, journals, authors, co-cited references, and keywords.

resultsA total of 2,576 publications were identified, demonstrating a continuous upward trend in annual output and citation frequency. China contributed the highest number of publications, with Shanghai Jiao Tong University being the most productive institution. Kern TS. was the most prolific author, whereas Antonia M. achieved the highest citation count. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science ranked first in both publication frequency and co-citation counts. Keyword clustering revealed that Oxidative Stress (OS) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) were closely associated with this research domain.

conclusionThis study systematically summarized the research landscape of inflammation in DR over the past two decades, not DR in general. We focus on global mapping of contributors, quantification of mechanistic hotspots, identification of geographic/thematic imbalances, and potential guidance for future research priorities. We noticed current research focuses on immune cells and inflammatory factors, oxidative stress, and VEGF in DR. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the inflammation–DR relationship and offer valuable insights for future research and therapeutic development. Controlling chronic retinal inflammation, mitigating OS, and downregulating VEGF expression are beneficial for patients with DR. These findings underscore the rationale for therapeutic strategies that combine durable VEGF inhibition with modulation of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.