Objective  To analyze the hotspots and trends in the research field of inflammation in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods  This study retrieved data from the Web of Science Core Collection database, with the retrieval period spanning from January 2000 to December 2023. The literature types included were papers and review papers in English. The search was conducted using "Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome" and its synonyms, along with "inflammation" as subject terms. Visualization analysis was performed using software such as CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and SCImago Graphica.

Results  A total of 1, 803 articles were included in this study. The number of publications in this field had rapidly increased after 2018. China had the highest number of publications, and Tehran University of Medical Sciences was the institution with the most publications. Key scholars included Asemi Z, Gonzalez AM, Escobar-Morreale HF, etc., and a core group of authors had been formed. The main research hotspots centered around insulin resistance, obesity, oxidative stress, etc., and five clusters were formed. Highly cited and burst-cited literature were mainly review papers.

Conclusion  The research field of inflammation in PCOS is currently in a stage of rapid development, with research content covering PCOS inflammation markers, the impact of inflammation on PCOS pathophysiology, inflammation-based PCOS treatment and prognosis, etc. The debate on whether the chronic low-grade inflammatory state in PCOS patients is related to obesity or not remains a focal point of contention.