The scientometric characteristics of lichen planus in stomatology and dermatology journals: A comparative study.

Background/purpose: Lichen planus (LP) is a representative mucocutaneous disease involving oral mucosa and skin. The aim of this study was to compare the scientometric characteristics of LP publications in stomatology and dermatology journals. Materials and methods: All the papers on LP were comprehensively searched and then ones published in stomatology and dermatology journals were retrieved. Results: Among all the 5633 papers on LP, 1344 (23.9%) and 2528 (44.9%) were published in stomatology and dermatology journals, respectively. Among the most-cited top-100 papers, 58 and 30 were published in stomatology and dermatology journals, respectively. Moreover, citation count (11,908) and citation density (640.2) of the 58 stomatology publications were obviously higher than the 2 numbers (5096, 260.3) of the 30 dermatology publications. Based on the frequency of research keywords, the distinctive keywords such as malignant transformation, precancerous, genetics, genotype, gene expression, saliva, blood, cytokines, smoking, anxiety, and depression were identified in stomatology publications. On the other side, hyperkeratosis, hyperpigmentation, erythema, epiluminescence microscopy, and dermoscopy were identified in dermatology publications. Furthermore, drug research including drug withdrawal, drug safety, and drug dose reduction with a dozen of drugs are frequent keywords in dermatology but not in stomatology publications. Conclusion: The distinctive keywords of LP publications in stomatology and dermatology journals correspond to the research priority in stomatology and dermatology. We hope that the observations of this analysis will aid clinicians and investigators in promoting mutual understanding and more reciprocal cooperation regarding LP in stomatology and dermatology.