The adenoids, also known as tonsillar vegetations or palatine tonsils, are located at the top of the nasopharynx, behind the nasal cavity, above the throat, and consist of a mass of lymphatic tissue. Normally, children between 2 to 10 years old experience adenoid hypertrophy, with the adenoids reaching their largest size at 6 years old and beginning to shrink after 10 years old, disappearing around 13 years of age.