Patient's question:
A friend's child has been heard to have adenoid hypertrophy. I don't know much about this disease. Could you please tell me where the adenoid is located?Doctor's answer:
The adenoid, also known as the pharyngeal tonsil, is a group of lymphoid tissue similar to (the palatine) tonsils, attached to the posterior wall of the nasopharynx. Adenoid hypertrophy refers to the enlargement of the pharyngeal tonsil. In children, adenoid hypertrophy is often physiological. Infants are born with lymphoid tissue in the nasopharynx, which gradually increases with age and reaches its maximum size around the age of 6, after which it gradually degenerates. Only when it affects overall health or nearby organs is it referred to as adenoid hypertrophy.