[2] These lesions can be caused by trauma to the neck, occlusion of the spinal artery, tumors, disc compression, vitamin B12 deficiency, syphilis, or multiple sclerosis.

[4] Common pathological sources of PSAS include Friedreich's Ataxia, an autosomal-recessive inherited disease, and tumors such as astrocytoma, ependymoma, meningioma, neurofibroma, sarcoma, and schwannoma.

[citation needed] Cobalamin, commonly known as vitamin B12, plays a crucial role in the synthesis and maintenance of myelin in neurons found in the spinal cord.

A deficiency of this essential vitamin results in demyelination, a deterioration of the axon's layer of insulation causing interrupted signal transmission, with a currently unknown specificity to the posterior region.

Further complications from tabes dorsalis include optic nerve damage, blindness, shooting pains, urinary incontinence, and degeneration of the joints.

[8] It has been difficult to make any breakthroughs in diagnosis and/or treatment of PSAS as symptoms are not specific in nature and can vary based on the exact location of spinal cord lesions.

Additionally, research has suffered setbacks because PSAS is rare with few documented cases, unlike anterior spinal artery syndrome.