9 yo son with UL dead ear - scared

[Speechie]

 
 My nine-year-old son  noticed that  he wasn't hearing well last fall when he had a cold. I had the school nurse screen him and at that time he had a 30 to 40 dB hearing loss in his left ear. We kept an eye on it and he told me it got better over the winter.  He seemed fine all summer until the end of August when we were in a noisy environment and I was speaking to him from his left side. He turned his head and said 'I can't hear you can you talk into my good ear '. 

 So we saw the ENT last week who did the tuning fork test and it showed sensorineural hearing loss on the left. They looked at his ears with the microscope and everything looked beautiful clean and good. Today we went in for hearing testing and the audiologist looked very puzzled ,   And told me he is 100% deaf  in his left ear. Omg  he has not had a blow to the head, he has been healthy all spring and summer with no fevers,…  and they are recommending an MRI.

 There is so little online about  rapidly acquired unilateral  profound  sensorineural hearing loss in a nine-year-old… I am very concerned that this could be an acoustic Neuroma.  Can anyone hear share their experience of being diagnosed, or whether this is the usual onset?  It was really shocking that he heard nothing, they also did the brainstem auditory evoked Test and it showed his ear is dead

[mandihester]

I was just diagnosed this past August after becoming dizzy in April.  I didn't seek treatment regarding my ears but upon further testing they found asymmetrical hearing loss.  I notice it more when talking on the phone or when there is a lot of background noise.  I also get a fullness in that ear sometimes where I feel like I need to pop my ear but usually can't. 
When is your son's MRI? 

[Speechie]

 We have a follow up with ENT on Friday, to discuss the results from yesterday. He would be giving me our appointment for MRI then. And of all things today my son is home driving and I'm really freaked out.   He's had no vertigo no dizziness, but today he has nausea and no fever. 

[mandihester]

Have the ruled out Meniere's disease?

[PaulW]

I would think the chances of a 9 year old having deafness caused by an Acoustic Neuroma would be extremely rare. I believe only around 2% of people that are sent for an MRI to investigate sensorineural hearing loss have an Acoustic Neuroma, and as they are normally slow growing the odds would be less in a 9 year old. The most common cause if you can call it that is ideopathic hearing loss, which is doctors speak for we don't know what caused the hearing loss. This is largely thought to be caused by latent effects of a virus which happens many months afterwards. So take a deep breath, it probably isn't an Acoustic neuroma

[Speechie]

 Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate your taking the time to answer me.
 It is reassuring to know that it is exceedingly rare and children. They have ordered bloodwork, and MRI, CAT scan, and a renal ultrasound to  try to find the etiology.
 His MRI is Monday, and the follow up at the doctors on Friday. I know it's rare, but I will be holding my breath until after the tests are done. It's all just so odd