What are the consequences if there are no tonsils or adenoids? a friend of mine visited an immunologist with her son, and she was told he was born without tonsils and adenoids. what kinds of things can happen to him?

Tonsils : Tonsils are part of the lymph system of the body, part of the immune system. If they get large enough to block breathing, they need to be removed. The tonsils grow until puberty, then begin to shrink in the following years. While infection of the tonsils is most common in childhood, they may still need to be removed in adulthood if they are large enough to obstruct the ability to breathe. If you are born without them, there are probably few consequences but it may mean that lymphatic tissue elsewhere is missing as well.

This : This is an age old question. The truth of the matter is that the removal of the tonsils and adenoids has never been shown to lower someone's immune system. The reasons for removal would be for obstructions (most common in younger kids) and frequent infections (more common in older kids and adults). Regarding your friend's child, it would be mmore important to know why he/she was born without tonsils.