Which medication is a prostaglandin analog used to treat miscarriage?

• A. Methotrexate
• B. Misoprostol
• C. Dinoprostone
• D. Mifepristone

Answer: (B)

Prostaglandin analogs used in miscarriage management work by provoking uterine contractions to expel the products of conception. Misoprostol is a prostaglandin E1 analog that effectively induces those contractions, making it a common option for medical management of early pregnancy loss. It can be given by vaginal or oral routes, often enabling outpatient treatment and reducing the need for surgical evacuation.

Methotrexate, a folate antagonist, works by inhibiting rapidly dividing trophoblastic tissue and is used for ectopic pregnancy or certain trophoblastic conditions—not to induce contractions for miscarriage. Dinoprostone is prostaglandin E2 primarily used to ripen the cervix and induce labor, not as the main drug for expelling miscarriage tissue. Mifepristone is an anti-progestin that sensitizes the uterus to prostaglandins and is used with misoprostol for medical abortion, but it is not the prostaglandin analog itself.