Trends and Hotspots in Psoriasis-Related Musculoskeletal Research.

Abstract

Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease with systemic manifestations, including psoriatic arthritis (PsA), that can lead to significant musculoskeletal complications and reduced quality of life. This bibliometric analysis aims to characterize trends and research hotspots in the scientific literature pertaining to psoriasis, PsA, and musculoskeletal involvement by examining leading countries, authors, institutions, publication trends, and keyword co-occurrence patterns.

Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection. A focused literature search was performed on June 16, 2026, using the title-based search query TI=(psoriasis AND ("psoriatic arthritis" OR enthesitis OR dactylitis OR spondylitis)) AND DT=(Article OR Review). VOSviewer was used to analyze keyword co-occurrence and generate network visualizations, while Microsoft Excel was used to evaluate publication trends and the leading countries, authors, and institutions.

Results: A total of 1,263 publications published between 1968 and 2026 were identified, with 97.0% written in English. More than 35.7% of all publications were published between 2021 and 2025, demonstrating continued growth in the field. The United States accounted for the highest proportion of publications, the University of Toronto was the leading institution, and keyword co-occurrence analysis identified psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, biologics, therapy, management, and quality of life as major research themes.

Conclusion: Research on psoriasis-related musculoskeletal involvement has continued to expand, with increasing emphasis on disease management and treatment strategies. The findings highlight evolving research hotspots in psoriatic arthritis and related musculoskeletal manifestations while also demonstrating geographic concentration of the literature. Future research should encourage greater international collaboration and broader geographic representation to further improve the understanding of psoriatic musculoskeletal disease.