Statistical Analysis
Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v. 15.0 for Windows. Categorical variables were given as numbers and percentages. The conformance of continuous data to a normal distribution was evaluated using the Shapiro-Wilk test. The independent t-test was used for the comparison of groups with a normal distribution, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for the comparison of groups that did not comply with a normal distribution. In the comparison of categorical variables, the Pearson chi-square and exact tests were used as appropriate. Parameters with a possible predictive value associated with EPE and positive SM were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.