OBJECTIVE To discuss the clinical characteristic of Electroglottography (EGG) curves of pathological voice in adult. METHODS Four hundred and fifty-three adults with pathological voices were examined by EGG and the abnormal EGG curves were analyzed. RESULTS (1) the EGG cycle was composed of contact phase (CP) and open phase (OP), the ratio of CP/OP was between 0.70 to 2.95, otherwise it was abnormal; (2) the CP was composed of closing-contact phase (CCP) and contact-opening phase (COP); the OP was composed of opening-open phase (OOP) and open-closing phase (OCP); (3) the abnormal formations of every phases in vibration cycle contained: smooth CCP, notches in CCP, flat in wave peak, steep COP, notches in COP, knurls in COP, knurls in OOP and in OCP; duplicate waves and irregular waves were fewer, but they reflected the special vibratory patterns of pathological voices; (5) Each abnormal formation fell as the follow: COP>OP>CCP. Each pathological voices presented different characteristics; (6) combined variance appeared in part pathological voices, such as single vocal polyps, double vocal polyps, Reinke edema and glottic laryngocarcinoma. COP combined with OOP was the most usual. CONCLUSIONS The abnormal variance formations of EGG curves of pathological voices in adult are intricate and they have inherent relations with each other. The establishment of OP variance increases the pathological EGG and the OP abnormities is CP abnormities. There are different orientations and rules in different pathological voices.