Key result
PFO research publications show significant growth, increasingly focusing on diagnosis and clinical management.
Why the study?
With publications on patent foramen ovale increasing over the last two decades, this study aimed to identify and describe the current state, hotspots, and emerging trends in PFO research using bibliometric analysis and visual mapping.
This bibliometric analysis maps 20 years of PFO research, identifying a shift from general clinical strategies to specific management guidelines and highlighting future directions in biological mechanisms and genetic susceptibility.
Highlights expanding PFO literature for clinicians; leaves open mechanistic and genetic research needs.
Background Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is among the most common congenital heart defects. Over the last two decades, the number of research publications on PFO has increased. This study aims to identify and describe the current state, hotspots, and emerging trends in PFO research over the previous 20 years using bibliometric analysis and visual mapping. Methods The Web of Science Core Collection was searched for all publications on PFO research, which were then included in the study. CtieSpace, VOSviewer, and Excel software were used to visualize general information, publication output, countries/regions, authors, journals, influential papers, and keyword trends in this field. Results This comprehensive analysis included 14,495 publications from 6,190 institutions across 115 countries. The United States dominated with the highest number of publications (2,407) and international collaborations. Mas JL made significant contributions to the PFO field, while Meier B emerged as a leading author, publishing 81 articles during the past 20 years. There were strong international collaborations among countries, institutions, and authors. Stroke , Circulation , and the New England Journal of Medicine were the most cited journals, with 13,124, 10,136, and 9,867 citations, respectively. Conclusions This bibliometric study revealed that recent research frontiers primarily focused on the diagnosis and clinical management of patients with PFO. Future studies are expected to delve deeper into the biological mechanisms by which PFO contributes to stroke, the efficacy and limitations of PFO closure techniques, and the exploration of genetic variations associated with PFO and their roles in disease susceptibility.
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He et al. (2025) studied Patent foramen ovale (n=7,905). Patent foramen ovale research publications increased significantly from 2003 to 2023, with recent frontiers primarily focusing on the diagnosis and clinical management of patients with PFO.
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