White discharge formation following a subepithelial connective tissue graft for anterior fixed partial denture pontics: A case report based on clinical and histological findings

Patient: A 54-year-old woman presenting with anterior alveolar ridge resorption was submitted to a connective tissue graft (CTG) for esthetic improvement before rehabilitation with a fixed partial denture. Palate-harvested connective tissue was used as a graft after extra-oral removal of the epithelium. Unexpectedly, complete wound healing was not observed. Moreover, 6 months post-surgery, a white discharge was detected at the grafted site. The adjacent tooth showing a root fracture was initially associated with the symptoms and was then extracted. Concomitantly, the unhealed tissue at the grafted site was also excised, leading to temporary symptom resolution. However, the white discharge reappeared after 2 months. The excision area was expanded to remove the grafted tissue entirely, and the wound was completely healed. Since the alveolar ridge resorption had become larger compared to the preoperative condition, the patient was subjected to a second CTG, now using a connective tissue harvested from the palate by a single incision technique. The wound healed uneventfully, and the final prosthesis was delivered 6 months after soft tissue stabilization. The patient has been followed-up for more than 28 months without any recurrence of white discharge. Discussion: Histopathological and cytological examination detected keratinized epithelial tissues and cells, respectively, in excised tissues and white discharge specimens. Consequently, a possible relationship between white discharge and residual epithelium in the harvested graft was strongly suspected. Conclusion: Success of the CTG procedure requires careful method selection for tissue transplantation and treatment execution.