Which condition results in chronic and progressive cholestasis due to destruction of small intrahepatic bile ducts?

The condition that results in chronic and progressive cholestasis due to the destruction of small intrahepatic bile ducts is primary biliary cirrhosis. This autoimmune disease primarily affects women and involves the progressive destruction of the small bile ducts within the liver. As these ducts are destroyed, bile cannot flow properly, leading to cholestasis, which is a condition where bile cannot flow from the liver to the duodenum. This buildup of bile in the liver can result in liver damage and progressive liver disease over time.

In primary biliary cirrhosis, the immune system mistakenly attacks the epithelial cells lining the bile ducts, leading to inflammation, fibrosis, and eventually cirrhosis if untreated. This chronic cholestasis is a hallmark of the disease, distinguishing it from other conditions that may cause similar symptoms but do not primarily involve the destruction of intrahepatic bile ducts.

Other conditions mentioned impact bile flow but in different ways or locations, such as primary sclerosing cholangitis, which primarily affects the larger bile ducts outside the liver, leading to strictures. Caroli's disease involves the dilation of bile ducts and can cause complications related to bile flow but does not specifically cause the destruction of the intrahepatic bile ducts.