The tonsils (also referred to as palatine tonsils) are collections of lymphoid tissue located on each side of the oropharynx which participate in the immune function of the aerodigestive tract. Although tonsils may be quite large during childhood, they generally regress with age, and many adults have very little visible tonsillar tissue remaining. Enlargement or asymmetry of the tonsils in an adult may simply be an anatomic variant, but may also be an indication of tumor presence. Removal of tonsils has not been found to compromise immune status.