Scientific publications in endoscopic ultrasonography: a 20-year global survey of the literature.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Endoscopic ultrasound imaging of mediastinum, gastrointestinal tract and pancreas, and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of suspicious lesions, have now been available for several years. Although many papers have been published on endoscopic ultrasonography, a comprehensive overview of the subject matter presented has not yet been carried out. An extensive survey of the literature on endoscopic ultrasonography since its inception in the 1980 s was conducted in this study; key points are summarized.

METHODS: A computer-based PubMed search system was used to retrieve all available abstracts pertaining to endoscopic ultrasound from 1980 to the present. Data were collected concerning the impact factor, the various EUS instruments and fine-needle aspiration biopsy techniques used, and the subject matter, as well as the journals publishing the abstracts.

RESULTS: A total of 1259 articles were published in 65 journals: 440 (35 %) Western European studies, 404 (32 %) American studies, and 321 (26 %) Japanese studies were retrieved. The total and average impact factor per paper was highest for American papers, followed by European papers and Japanese papers. Forty-seven percent of the papers were published in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Endoscopy. The most frequently discussed topics concerned the staging of various malignancies, including esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer. The average sample size per paper was in the range 25 - 50. The various types of study included retrospective inquiries (25 %), reviews (24 %), prospective studies (17 %), and case reports (15 %).

CONCLUSIONS: Over the course of the past 20 years, there has been a progressive increase in the number of publications pertaining to endoscopic ultrasonography. Large-scale prospective studies are now needed to validate earlier reports. In addition, the diagnostic and therapeutic role of endoscopic ultrasound needs to be more widely publicized among physicians in all health-care fields, so that appropriate patients may be referred.