The Dynamics of Research on COVID-19 and Myocarditis: A Bibliometric Analysis

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a serious international public health emergency, resulting in a high number of infections and fatalities. The association between COVID-19 and myocarditis has attracted widespread attention in the medical community. Although a clear definition of COVID-19-related myocarditis remains unexplored, case reports to date have described SARS-CoV-2 infections with clinical features that are consistent with a diagnosis of clinically suspected myocarditis. This work intends to provide a bibliometric analysis of recent studies concerning myocarditis and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: We conducted a bibliometric search using the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database, with PubMed as a supplementary source. The analysis covered publication quantity, types, countries, institutions, authors, journals, citations, and keywords. Visualization was performed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Scimago Graphica. Results: We analyzed publications on COVID-19-related myocarditis from January 1, 2020, to July 9, 2025, yielding a total of 1,024 records. Of these, 646 were retrieved from the WoSCC and 378 case reports were obtained from PubMed. Research activity peaked in 2022 and declined in 2023 and 2024. The United States of America led in publication volume (37.9%), followed by China (11.5%), Italy (10.5%), the United Kingdom (9.4%), and Germany (9.3%). Most contributing institutions were located in North America and Europe, with Harvard Medical School and the Mayo Clinic ranking among the top. Author collaboration remained limited, with most researchers forming small, disconnected groups. JAMA Cardiology, Circulation, and Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine were the most frequently cited journals. Research primarily focused on clinical diagnosis, imaging, vaccine-associated myocarditis, and immunopathological mechanisms. Conclusion: This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric and knowledge mapping analysis of research on COVID-19-related myocarditis, offering insights into its developmental trends, key contributors, and thematic focuses, and providing guidance for future research in this field.