Misoprostol in gynecology.

Misoprostol is an important medication for gynecologic practice; however, it is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for any gynecologic indication. Evidence-based practice must guide our use of this important drug. Its use for medical abortion in conjunction with mifepristone or methotrexate is supported by a large body of high-quality evidence. There is also a rapidly growing amount of literature on the use of misoprostol for the management of miscarriage; however, more research is needed to optimize use. Solid evidence supports the efficacy of misoprostol for cervical ripening before first-trimester suction curettage abortion, and good evidence supports its use before hysteroscopy in premenopausal women; however, complications are rare with these procedures, making it difficult to assess any impact on complication rates. Most studies have not demonstrated a benefit for using misoprostol as a cervical ripening agent in postmenopausal women.