Acute tonsillitis commonly refers to inflammation of the palatine tonsils, or the ovoid-shaped lymphatic tissue visible in the oropharynx, lateral to the uvula. The palatine tonsils play a role in early childhood in protecting the respiratory tract, complementing our immune system. Normally from early childhood onward they undergo progressive atrophy, both functional and objectifiable by their disappearance from the tonsillar lodge as frequently observed in adults. The tonsils are exposed to inflammation, usually viral, more rarely bacterial, resulting in enlargement of the tonsils and referred pain in the throat and in some cases in the ear.
